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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26438314">Arrival. Departure.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/anibrivity/pseuds/anibrivity'>anibrivity</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sieged Elysium AU [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Xenoblade Chronicles, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alvis is Ontos (Xenoblade Chronicles), Angst, Battle, Canon Continuation, Crossover, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Headcanon, Original Character(s), Trauma, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Spoilers, Xenoblade Chronicles Spoilers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:48:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>38,525</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26438314</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/anibrivity/pseuds/anibrivity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>- ACT 3 -<br/>Alicorn arrives.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sieged Elysium AU [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884208</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Round Table</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is ACT 3 of an AU series, Sieged Elysium<br/>Please read the previous two acts! Nothing here will make sense otherwise.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sound of bare feet across the cold, black metal of the advisory bay dragged. The footsteps were tired. Tired, and soft. Had the jangling of the short chain attached at the ankle bracelet gripping the slithering, sleepy feet not been sounding off as it vibrated along the floor, who's to say whether the newly awakened, moving presence would have been known in any capacity. </p><p> </p><p>“...You actually woke up. What’s this, a miracle?” </p><p> </p><p>She reached the black, round table in the middle of the interstellar ship's hull, leaning over it silently. The lights were dim. They always were. It didn’t seem like anyone cared for brightness in this place, save for the moonlight-esque glint of all the many control panels and monitors littered about the black mass. </p><p>Her fluffy black and white ears were down, at first. They rose shortly after hearing the armored man speak to her. One ear twitched, and then so did the other one.<br/>
Her tail of the aforementioned color rose slowly with her ears. It’s motion back and forth behind her was second nature. Oscillating, gently. Hypnotically. <br/>
She was purring. Not for any particular reason. It’s just what felines do.</p><p>But, soon enough.<br/>
Like the rest of her tired body.<br/>
Her voice came into existence, it too rose.</p><p>She yawned and moaned, the sound of which made absolute sense to come from her throat, given her features. It was like the cry of a kitten, though low. Low, tired, and soft. No more than a “mew”. </p><p>After missing about ten..<em>.or was it twenty? </em> Of these meetings in a row, preferring sleep instead,<br/>
<em> she </em> herself decided to rise. Maybe it was boredom. Who the hell knew.<br/>
But, she did rise. She was at the round, black table now, with the others soon to be called here for re-briefing. </p><p>However, as the others of Alicorn hadn’t arrived on their summons yet, she had nothing else to do but chat with the white haired man who’d snuffed her out of slumber.</p><p> </p><p>And so she did. “...Bite me, <em> boss~. </em> You know I need my beauty sleep. All you and those other relic-obsessed weirdos ever yap on over is shit that I couldn’t care <em> less </em> about. But you wouldn’t turn that stupid call-alarm off - so what else am I supposed to do?”</p><p>The smug voice replied, knowing <em> just </em> what to say. “Hah. Beauty sleep? That’s what you’re callin’ it now? While smelling like alcohol? Pretty sure I don’t need to mention the hair-do, either.”</p><p>“Bleh.” The cat-like woman merely shrugged. “Oh well - you got me. But I hope you realize that ain’t helpin’ you. I don’t come to these mind-numbing “get togethers” because <em> I </em> have nothing I want to talk to any of you about.”</p><p>“That’s perfectly fine, <em> old pal </em> .” The armored man shrugged right along with his crewmate. “You don’t always talk at this table. Sometimes, you <em> listen. </em>” </p><p>“Listen to what, exactly? <em> Orders? </em> You mean the <em> orders </em> you haven’t given me in ages? But you got the nerve to get on my ass about sleep.” The feline chuckled softly. “Honestly, I think you just miss when you used to see me all the time. But <em> we’re </em> just <em> too </em> big and bad to come and visit someone’s room like a normal person, aren’t we?” </p><p> </p><p>“Think whatever you’d like.” The armored man waved a dismissive hand, though turning in his chair to hide his face. “If you’re so bored that you wanna sleep and drink all of your days away, well, I hope you’re happy, cuz I’ll be giving you something to do.” </p><p>The feline growled. “<em> Oh boy. Great news…”  </em></p><p> </p><p>The armored, white-haired man simply began snickering a bit as he left his seat to stretch.</p><p> </p><p>The feline spoke ahead of him, softly, yet bitter. “What gives? More years than I can count without you askin’ me to do shit for you, but <em> now </em> I’m back on the team? Your other bozos slackin’ even harder than me?” </p><p>“Nah. But I wanna wait for the others to get here before I explain it.” He turned toward the feline girl, gaze softening, despite the tone of their conversation. “Just take a seat, Taina. Relax and get ready to open those ears. You’ll be fine. Don’t get cold feet over havin’ to contribute every now’n again. Besides…” his voice lowered, waxing sentimental, his tone became casual, like he was coming from a different place with next his words to the feline, “you know I’ve always taken it easier on you.”</p><p> </p><p>She let her eyes open a bit more, giving him a bit of a warmer stare. The way she heard him speak there was different. Different from how it’d been for the past...<em> god knows how long. </em></p><p>That sounded like…</p><p> </p><p>“...Pft. Whatever, <em> Icarus. </em>” The feline growled under her breath, averting her eyes, and took her seat. “This just better be worth the headache.”</p><p> </p><p>The feline fell silent again, leaning her head on her fist, with her elbow planted firmly on the table. She had nothing left to say. Not to him. Not to him <em> now, </em>anyway. </p><p>In minutes, the crystalline humming sound of the transporters buzzed off from different areas of the ship.</p><p>Two more figures entered into the advisory hall, their distinct voices seeping through the automatic doors right along with the humble pound of their boots.</p><p>Taina, the feline, rotated in her seat, watching her colleagues closely with narrow eyes. <em> Don’t talk to me </em> was all it seemed like she wanted to communicate with her stares. </p><p> </p><p>The first set of boots reached the meeting table.<br/>
His hair was brown, slicked back, and plain-looking. His jawline was pointed.<br/>
Over his eyes sat a black visor lens, which he deactivated and collapsed, revealing his set of irises. As brown as his hair.<br/>
His gaze was straight, taking the summons that brought him here seriously, though he did flash eye contact and coy smirks with his colleagues to acknowledge them.</p><p> </p><p>He bowed slightly, giving his occupancy a voice, and giving that voice to no-one in the room other than who requested he come. “A pleasure to return. What’s up?”</p><p> </p><p>“<em> Taiiiinaaa~, you’re awake! </em> Don’t tell me ya felt bad about slacking so much?” The second set of boots stomped in from her entry point. She was brash, freckled, and with a dirty mop of somewhat spiky orange hair. Around her neck was a bright yellow scarf. She <em> also </em> gave everyone in the room narrow glances, however, her tangerine colored eyes flavored her intentions differently. Her gaze was venomous, yet sweet, like a nectar laced with river toxins.</p><p>“Hell no.” Taina shooed away the scarfed girl’s attempted half-hug before continuing to explain herself. “Big boy wouldn’t turn his shitty call alarm off, and so here I am.” </p><p>“D’aww, I see. Well, you’d better pay attention this time. We’ve been up to a <em> lot </em> , and I hear you’re finally getting orders again too? Damn, how many <em> decades </em> has it been since they sent you out? You know we’ll be <em> two peas in a pod </em> if we end up working together.”</p><p>“Whatever.” She hissed, waving another shoo motion with her hand. “You’re more of a loose cannon than our <em> mechs </em>. I’d rather not, thanks.” </p><p>The freckled redhead giggled, fidgeting with her scarf in her seat. “Suit yourself~.” </p><p> </p><p>The crew members took their seats along with their commander.<br/>
The white-haired commander swung his legs up on the table.<br/>
His three subordinates made themselves comfortable in similar ways.</p><p> </p><p>They’d been through this plenty of times already.<br/>
<em> Thousands of years </em> , in fact.<br/>
This would be just another re-briefing, just another “keep your heads on straight, and keep doing bad stuff.”</p><p>At one point, they all had to have good posture at these meetings.<br/>
At one point, they all had to have mission reports drafted that their commander would file through.<br/>
At one point, they might have had their hearts in all of this.</p><p> </p><p>“This was quite the sudden summon, Icarus.” The man with brown hair spoke, his tone loyal. “Re-briefings before our routine assignment periods end aren't like you.” </p><p> </p><p>The redhead nodded. The feline stayed silent, and still.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Oh, I know.</em> I’ve called you all back so suddenly because I’ve got some pretty big news.<em> I</em> <em>mean </em><b><em>big</em></b><em>. </em>The way we do things around here will be changing pretty soon.”</p><p>“Changing <em> how, </em>boss?” The redhead yelped excitedly. </p><p>“Glad you asked.” The commander cracked his neck, relieving some tension. “I’ve decided I’m throwin my cards on the table. No special reason, really. I just think...no, I <em> feel </em> like it’s high time for us to kick this millennia’s worth of effort into overdrive. And I think...I know just how to get our little “long-distance friend” on her feet, <em> right to us.” </em></p><p> </p><p>“Ah...You mean the fighter that’s been defending Earth.”</p><p>“The Aegis?? Are we finally gonna get to see her?!” </p><p> </p><p>The feline's ears twitched as she sat with uncaring eyes. <em>Aegis…? Didn’t he say that was...Bleh. Never mind.</em> <em>If I’m getting orders, I’ll see it when I see it.</em> </p><p> </p><p>“I’ve been watching her for a helluva long time. She’s a tough cookie, that little gem. Recently got herself a friend again, too. I’ve been slowly compiling data on how she fights…And, <em> what she is. </em>”</p><p>The redhead spoke up. “Way back when, you said she was the “ticket”, didn’t ya boss? Said she was gonna be how we “close the curtain,” yea?~”</p><p>The commander shut his eyes, exhaling along with a nod. His tone became much more serious. “<em> The Aegis...She’s gonna be how I get it. I’m taking back what’s mine, and I need what she can...nah, what she’s </em> <b> <em>going</em> </b> <em> to take me to in order to do that.”  </em></p><p>The loyal man spoke. “Huh...So you really think she can bring it back. She can get us to that “Conduit” you keep tellin’ us about?” </p><p>“I <em> know </em> she can. Had ‘er under my scope for a good couple thousand years, I bet. You can learn a lot in that much time. She’s way more than just <em> related </em> to the thing, she’s <em> connected </em> to it. And quite closely.”</p><p>The redhead spoke. “You’ve been roughin’ with her the past couple thousand years as well. She always <em> seems </em> like she’s gettin to her limit, and then <em> bam </em> , something just jumpstarts her resolve again, like it’s...well, <em> clockwork. </em> She’s definitely somethin’. Cutie to boot.” </p><p> </p><p><em> So...guess they never really stopped being obsessed with that girl all this time, or that stupid “Conduit” thing, either </em> The feline thought to herself. <em> Being here is gonna start getting real annoying, won’t it? </em></p><p> </p><p>“What will you do now?” The loyal man said humbly. “And what of our plans might change?” </p><p>The commander moved his feet off the desk, taking a more upward leaning posture. He looked to his inquirer first, with his nose resting atop his enjoined fingers.</p><p>“For now, none of your plans are changing. <em> Yet. </em> But things’re gonna get <em> real </em> busy around here soon. In fact…” He flashed a look at the brown-haired crew member. “...I want production upped in Zhodric. <em> Stat. </em> All of our prototype units? Make those suckers down there complete them. I want as many backup plans as we can get those fools to make for us, because I’m <em> sure </em> she’ll give us a hard time. But that’s fine. For me, at least. I like a challenge, and she’s proven to me that she can handle a challenge.”</p><p>He was looking at the redhead now. “...As for you, I know you hate to do it, but give me a report. I need records of your scouting ventures around Adrezhal, because I’m changing your orders soon. Bonus points if you managed to find that “thing” we talked about, yeah?” </p><p>She replied. “Oh, sweet, reports. Hehe, <em> but fine~. </em> However...I may as well get this out the way, I haven’t found that item yet, so the thing that’s locked away in Zhodric - we still can’t get to it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Bleh. Whatevs. I actually went to Earth about a month ago looking for the thing too...Hope the guy I left <em> that </em> little <em> assignment </em> for has some good news for me.” </p><p>The loyal man spoke again. “Well alright. So, that covers <em> us. </em> But what about <em> you? </em> You’re going back to Earth this time to see The Aegis up-close, yeah? When? And are you <em> gonna raise some hell? </em>” </p><p> </p><p>The feline watched her commander leave his seat, with narrow eyes. <em> Oh yeah. Things were going to get annoying soon. </em></p><p>The commander cracked his joints all over, facing toward the entrance to the living quarters of the ship.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m heading back down there tomorrow.” He leaned back onto the table, still standing. “When I get there...I’m just gonna say “Hi.” You only get one chance to make a first impression, after all. I wanna properly introduce myself.” </p><p>“I see. Seems we’ll be a lot more on our feet <em> very </em> soon.”</p><p> </p><p>“I dunno about you two, but I’m excited as all hell. Just the chance to <em> finally </em> see the Aegis…” The redhead licked her lips. “...Hehe~.”</p><p>The commander spoke again, a bit sternly. “Heh. Alright, meetin’ adjourned. And I want those scouting reports on my desk in two days. Now scram.” </p><p> </p><p>The two summoned crew members left through the same teleporters they came through.<br/>
It was just the commander and the feline left.</p><p> </p><p>The feline girl growled. Was she feeling ignored? She wasn’t sure. “Hey. Think you <em> forgot </em>someone?”</p><p> </p><p>The commander chuckled a couple times while making his way across the advisory hall. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you? Of course not. But we don’t gotta be all stiff about it, ya know. Come, I want a drink.”</p><p><br/>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Here we are! Act 3 of Sieged Elysium.<br/>This came to me quicker than I expected, but it is finally time, now that our heroes are up and running, to get our villains there as well.<br/>As always, our main character and narrator is still Pneuma, and things are going to be getting tougher for her soon.</p><p>Please leave comments if you've been enjoying this far! And for every active reader that has stuck with me, thank you from the bottom of my heart! let's keep the journey going &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. - Arrival - The Face of Alicorn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I almost <em> always </em> feel like the monster after this.<br/>
They tear away at my home. I tear away at them.<br/>
One. Another. The next.</p><p>Before they disappear,<br/>
I witness the same scene, over and over.<br/>
You see it too, don’t you?</p><p>Father?<br/>
Rex?<br/>
You see how hard I’m trying? </p><p>How much<em> you </em> mean to me, sweetheart?<br/>
What <b> <em>you</em> </b> made me responsible for, Father?<br/>
You see it, right?</p><p>I hope you both see this desolate wasteland.<br/>
I hope you see The Center. I hope you see Elysium. I hope you see this barrier.<br/>
<em> Because I’m here. I’ve always been here. I’ll continue to be here. </em></p><p> </p><p>Cutting down the roaches they rain through the shell.<br/>
One. Another. The next.<br/>
All around me, the bodies of lifeless Artifices.</p><p>Here a second.<br/>
Gone the next. Faded into particulate matter.<br/>
Returning to their masters, <em> just to come right back to me. </em> </p><p> </p><p>This time, I <em>couldn’t</em> look away. I wrapped my arms around myself, crying out to my heart to let me stop, to set me free. I didn’t want to see it. I didn’t want to see death. But it was everywhere. I was shaking now, on the verge of tears. In The Center, I had always beat it into my own head that I wouldn’t ask myself questions. The reason why is because...<em>I’m nothing.</em> Nothing without that flame in my soul that ignited two millennia ago. That day...when <em>this</em> place was made, and Mor Ardain was torn asunder...<em>That fury, I couldn’t ever forget it. I couldn’t ever ignore it.</em> <em>I wouldn’t ignore those lives I blasted into nothingness. The lights I turned out so suddenly, just so that more harm wouldn’t come.</em></p><p> </p><p><em> “ </em>Pneuma…?”</p><p>“O-Oh...O-Ontos...I-I Just..I’m-” </p><p> </p><p><em> But some days, like today, or was it yesterday? Is it everyday? …<br/>
</em> <em> I find myself unable to forget something else.<br/>
</em> <em> Something much more sinister. </em></p><p><em> It wasn’t an Artifice.<br/>
</em> <em> It was no genocidal maniac sending limitless tyrants.<br/>
</em> <em> It wasn’t even me. No. </em></p><p><em> What it was, was a question.<br/>
</em> <em> But that question...that’s the question that makes me feel like nothing.<br/>
</em> <em> The words, they pang. </em> <b> <em>When will this end?</em> </b> </p><p><em> When would I allow myself to stop?<br/>
</em> <em> To stop this senseless charade of the “Angel” that I am not.<br/>
</em> <em> When would I allow myself to look away? </em></p><p> </p><p><em> I know Rex.<br/>
</em> <em> I know Father.<br/>
</em> <em> I know me. </em></p><p><em> Rex wouldn’t want to see Elysium like this. He’d put himself through every ring of this hell, just as I am.<br/>
</em> <em> Father...well he’s already been through it. He’s gotten his closure. At the expense of who? Oh I’m </em> <b> <em>sure </em> </b> <em> he cared about all of that. I wonder if he’s kicking himself right now? <br/>
</em> <em> I know that I don’t care if he is, he can choke on it. But what I do know is that I care about my home. My true home. </em></p><p><em> I’ve always cared.<br/>
</em> <em> I’ve cared about every little thing. Everything he’s given me.<br/>
</em> <em> Elysium...we fought together for it. I just can’t let that go. </em></p><p><em> I can’t return to him. Not yet.<br/>
</em> <em> Not until I fix this.<br/>
</em> <em> Or die trying. </em></p><p><em> But it gets agonizing. It never gets easier.<br/>
</em> <em> They </em> <b> <em>never</em> </b> <em> feel closer.<br/>
</em> <em> It’s just metal. Death. Machines. </em></p><p><em> If I could cut the heads of all of them off, I would.<br/>
</em> <em> If I could burn every inch of the cosmos, I would.<br/>
</em> <em> But I can’t. My flame isn’t that bright. And Alicorn… </em></p><p> </p><p>“H-Huh?!” My train of thought shrivels and dissipates. </p><p>“Pneuma. Wallow not, dear sister. I can tell that you are self-loathing. I know that this is hard...Your fight has been torturously lengthy, I cannot hope to internalize the scope of it all, even from my perspective. But, your fight is something else now, too.”</p><p> </p><p>My brother peeled my arms from around me, making space to take himself into them. He nudged my fingers considerately first, to check if I can handle it right now. I needed the hug, and so I let him.</p><p>That’s right…</p><p> </p><p>“<em> Your fight is mine, too. </em> I have kept my promise. The Rift is closed. However, there is another promise I must keep as well, and it is this one. I intend to make good on it, no matter how treacherous the going may get for us.”</p><p> </p><p><em> You’re </em> here now.<br/>
With your silver locs.<br/>
With your melodramatic deadpan, that goes perfectly along with my voice.</p><p>With your goofy Monado copy you made in Shulk's honor.<br/>
With your warm hugs. All the love in the world.<br/>
With your promises. Promises I made you keep...Promises you won’t let me regret.</p><p> </p><p>My sword slips out of my hand, dissipating into the Ether. “Trust in me, Pneuma. I promise that my love for you will falter none.” </p><p> </p><p>I’m too shaken for full sentences, so I just hold him. I hold him tightly.<br/>
I can’t say it right now, but I love you too. <em> So much.<br/>
</em> I’ll make all the room in my heart that I need to for you to fit, Ontos. <em> That’s </em> my promise to <em> you. </em></p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Ah...There they go again.”</p><p> </p><p>We break our embrace while watching the monotony all over again. I sigh. He shakes his head. We had the words, but didn’t need to say them. Ontos might be fresh to this, but I can tell all of the fighting isn’t weighing right on him mentally. I hate so much that he’s got to go through this. That he can’t just live with me in Fonsett until I decide to leave, letting <em> me </em> do the taking care of. Letting me give him what he should have gotten from the very beginning. What <em> Logos </em> should have gotten. What he <em> would have </em>gotten if Addam and I weren’t so selfish…</p><p> </p><p>I wish I weren’t so deaf those years.<br/>
All he needed was someone to listen to him…<br/>
But by the time he’d gotten it, all he could hear was himself.</p><p>All he could hear was his own suffering.<br/>
His own heart pangs.<br/>
He had become wrapped up in the fact that he didn’t feel like he belonged <em> anywhere. </em></p><p>I could have stopped <em> all </em> of it.<br/>
But I didn’t...Not even sure if I could, all those years ago.<br/>
But, I’m <em> not </em> making that mistake again. I’m <em> not </em> leaving <em> you </em> alone, Ontos.</p><p>Even if these are the worst of circumstances.<br/>
Even if we’ve got to fight.<br/>
<em> I’m </em> still here for you. I’ll listen to everything you have to tell me. It’s what Logos deserved. You deserve it, too.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>We were accustomed to not leaving for as long as possible now. As the Ether particles of our destroyed pests trickled out of the shell and into the stars, I thought about a couple of things.</p><p>I’d wondered if Azurda would return soon to say the onslaught would pause. I needed a bed and blanket badly.<br/>
I was hoping I wouldn’t collapse right onto the ground, actually. It was feeling pretty warm, even under the tinted night sky.<br/>
I was wondering if my brother was holding up okay, too. He was looking pretty tired.</p><p>I walked over to him, leaning back onto his shoulder. Partly to keep myself awake and upright. Partly just so he wouldn’t forget that I was there. My eyes weren’t really focusing on anything, I guess. I just didn’t want to fall asleep in case another attack happened.</p><p>Ontos seemed to be concerned over the same thing. His eyes were glued to the cracked shell above us that I was slowly repairing with my Ether. Attacks were getting sporadic these days. A far cry from the rhythmic waves they’d send in before. Now it felt like they were <em> pounding </em> at my door, <em> insisting </em> on invasion, and not just politely <em> requesting </em> to destroy everything that I am. Just in the past two days, we’ve had to deal with a number of Goliaths. Suffice to say that it got desperate here. <em> More than a few times. </em> </p><p> </p><p>Today was mild, <em> so far.<br/>
</em> But my brother and I knew better.<br/>
We weren’t getting our hopes up. We <em> couldn’t </em>.</p><p>We couldn’t.<br/>
And, of course, as soon as I had thought that…<br/>
Alicorn was <em> eager </em> to prove it to me. Prove to me why I <em> shouldn’t </em>. </p><p>My body and throat let up, allowing me my words again finally. <br/>
But I wish...I wish it didn’t have to be what I needed them to speak over…</p><p> </p><p>“<em> O-Ontos...Y-You’re seeing that too, right? I knew it. I knew they wouldn’t stop.”  </em></p><p>
  <em> “As it would seem, our brief respite was indeed brief.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Seems today’s breather would end before it even really started.<br/>
I had finished repairing the shell, and already I’d have to watch it be broken again.<br/>
My sky would be broken into once more.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Pneuma. It’s a Goliath.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Urgh. Shit. A-Again?”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>I resummon the Aegis Sabre, shaking away my drowsiness.<br/>
Ontos and I kept our vision squarely on the blackness looming over.<br/>
The next cold, dark mass that would come to try and take everything from us.</p><p> </p><p>I squeal. “<em> That one...Is it another new model? </em>” </p><p>“<em> Actually...No. Pneuma, observe its shape...I may have been wrong earlier.”  </em></p><p> </p><p>It’s figure was directly above us now, continuing to loom as we both rushed our eyes all over its massive body. It took Ontos only moments to come up with a new assertion for me. I had reached my own conclusion, of course, but I let him talk first.</p><p> </p><p>“A carrier? At the very least, it doesn’t look like it was built solely for combat.”</p><p>“Yeah...T-That’s gotta be some kind of... ship? It’s frickin’ huge, that’s for sure. No way is something <em> that </em> size zipping around at hyperspeed like those other guys.” </p><p> </p><p>We both flinch as the underbelly of the figure alights. It beams down right over us, singling us out like the lead actors of a play. I cover my eyes partially. It definitely <em> doesn’t </em> help that the barrier itself causes the focal point of bright lights to exacerbate. The gleam of the mass that was cast above was nearly blinding. I however remain hardened, and careful. Even with my sight hindered, I study the dark ship as it grows larger. An indication of it getting closer to the barrier. </p><p> </p><p>My mind raced all over the place. I was doing my best not to go insane.<br/>
I was cold. I was losing it.<br/>
An entire <em> carrier </em> could mean that they planned to release an army.</p><p>This could be more than just hundreds of grunts.<br/>
This could be more than just a few Goliaths.<br/>
Looking at the size of the Ship…</p><p>There could be enough enemies docked inside of it to overfill The Center.<br/>
If this arena was compromised <em> at all, that would mean Elysium’s ass.<br/>
</em> I couldn’t lose my cool. But I wanted to. <b> <em>Badly</em> </b> <em> . </em> </p><p> </p><p>“Ngh…Shit...”</p><p>“...Hmm?” Ontos observed something else.</p><p> </p><p>It had closed in on the barrier. Close enough to graze it. What was confusing to us about <em> that </em> was the fact that it wasn’t making <em> any </em> moves. Nothing. It had kept it’s lights on, and it was just looming. It didn’t unload any cannonfire. It didn’t send any machines. It didn’t do anything.</p><p> </p><p>“What the hell gives?! Is it just going to sit there?”</p><p> </p><p>Almost as if the giant presence had heard my quivering, shaken bitching itself, it finally came to life again. It <em> made </em> a move. A bizarre one, at that. And this action made it clear that whatever I’d <em> thought </em> about Alicorn, at any moment, could be flat out wrong. </p><p> </p><p>I’d figured a ship the size of that one wouldn’t have any business being able to phase-shift.<br/>
I was dead wrong. That was exactly what it did.<br/>
The barrier stayed intact. There was no crack or scratch in the upper shell to speak of.</p><p>I was mesmerized, in all truth.<br/>
The gigantic, nightmarishly dark mass had slipped right <em> by </em> the barrier, in a wisp of temporary hyperspeed. Without touching it at all.<br/>
It was now right inside of The Center with us. And with its size, even from it’s high place above my brother and I, I could feel the gust it’s thrusters were kicking up.</p><p> </p><p>The sound of mechanical gusts and jets were absolutely howling in this confined area, reverberating from every inch of the shell. It felt like we were in a wind tunnel.My ears had even popped, I had to cover them. <em> I could barely even hear my own thoughts. </em></p><p> </p><p>I had known the barrier wouldn’t protect us from anything inside of here.<br/>
But not even being granted the reassurance of having to see it <em> broken into </em> each time was a new feeling.<br/>
And it definitely wasn’t a feeling I liked.</p><p> </p><p>The carrier begins to descend. My blood feels like it’s freezing over. The warm, drowsy state I was in earlier trying not to fall asleep was <em> completely </em> gone now. I was <em> wide awake </em>, trying to avert my eyes from the blinding light, and cover my ears from the scream of the deathly windstorm. </p><p> </p><p>My senses were being assaulted.<br/>
My whole world was crashing down.<br/>
And I hadn’t even <em> seen </em> what was inside of it yet.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Moments turned to minutes. “Pneuma.”</p><p>“Right. I’m good to go. You?”</p><p> </p><p>I prepared my weapon, letting the hot Ether in my heart fill every crack in the Aegis Sabres’ steel. The emerald flame encased my sword, and I readied once more. I felt my fury boil as I remembered the fateful day they demanded I give them everything I had. I refused. I still refuse. I <em>would continue</em> <em>to </em>refuse as long as there was even a speck of light in my Core Crystal. I was ready.</p><p>Ontos’ weapon opens like a maw. The circle in the hilt discharges rapid sparks that eventually tame and coil around the fixture, filling the inside with blue light. The sparks in the circle erupt through the opening as the Monado’s signature pure-Ether sword. Even if replicated, the aura surrounding the sword, and it’s history, was no less apparent. Ontos was ready.</p><p> </p><p>“As good as any.” </p><p> </p><p>The ship was now at a few meters above eye level with us. Low enough to see the underbelly up close, too high to see the front. We waited patiently. Watching as it finally turned off the bright lights, letting back in the emerald-tinted glow of the moon. Moments turned to minutes. Those minutes were nothing. Nothing became of those minutes, of which there were several.</p><p> </p><p>But we never faltered. We kept waiting.<br/>
It was all the time in the world. It was no time at all.<br/>
We kept waiting. Waiting for that massive nightmare to spill.</p><p>Waiting for the huge black mass to spit my maker right out at me.<br/>
Right on the <em> dead Elysium soil.<br/>
</em> <em> Special delivery. </em> </p><p>The carrier’s descent had ended.<br/>
It was now hovering in place.<br/>
Ontos took notice of something.</p><p>The underbelly of the ship had extended a ramp which connected with the ground beneath it.<br/>
To me, that had meant it was time.<br/>
Time for all of this tension to bear its fangs.</p><p> </p><p>I expected a flood of machines from the ramp. Instead, I had gotten something else. Something bizarre. Well, bizarre if we’re talking about Alicorn, anyway. I had expected the end of Elysium. I’d expected an army. I’d expected numbers and then some. But I didn’t get that at all. And even Ontos was as equally perplexed at what we were witnessing. </p><p> </p><p>“...Just...Just one?” </p><p>“Hmm…”</p><p> </p><p>From the ramp descends a single entity. A suit of black armor, veined all over in slithering red lines. It was toned, yet thin in frame. It didn’t sport the girthy upper-body of Malos or Jin. Looking at it honestly reminded me more of someone like Mikhail. There was even the same confidence and egotistic deliverance in it’s strut. It was nostalgic, for that fact and that fact alone.</p><p>Everywhere else? It wasn’t like Mikhail at all. I could tell just from looking over it once that whoever was behind the armor of that helmet would mean more business than he <em> ever </em> did. And as soon as I realized that, was when I wanted to go back to not knowing. Alicorn was giving me what I had been asking for for years, and now I <em> didn’t </em> want it anymore. Something in me begged for our distance back. Something in me <em> pleaded </em> for the ignorance of not being able to put faces to the name. </p><p> </p><p>But I knew all of that was bullshit.<br/>
Running away is bullshit.<br/>
Hiding from yourself...or your enemies, because you don’t like them? It was bullshit.</p><p>I couldn’t do it anyway.<br/>
Not even if I wanted to.<br/>
Because whoever that armor encased was, they were here now. Here for me.</p><p>Here to make that fateful request again.<br/>
That fateful request from that fateful day.<br/>
And just like before, I’d refuse.</p><p> </p><p>The mechanical helmet splits apart at the top. The horns retract, as well as the visor. Eventually both separated pieces of the head armor collapse into the suit’s collar, giving Ontos and I, at least, the face to the name. <em> The face of Alicorn. </em></p><p>And what that face was, was calm. Pinpoint. Laser-focused. Collected. Much like my beloved brother: all of the “cool” words. What threw me for an <em> actual </em> loop was just how humble it looked, too, if even a little <em> inviting. </em></p><p> </p><p>I honestly had no idea what to think.<br/>
As he made each advancing step toward me, I think I lost a bit of my perception of Alicorn with it.<br/>
<em> Why? </em></p><p>Whoever this guy was…<br/>
<em> Why?<br/>
</em> <em> Why do you look like you just came to talk? </em></p><p> </p><p>He wasn’t armed. There weren’t any machines following him. There was nothing but that face I had begun to not be able to <em> stand </em>, and the mop of white hair over top of it. </p><p> </p><p>He grew closer and closer. It was killing me.<br/>
I couldn’t get a single read on him.<br/>
I was clutching the Sabre so tight I was worried my gloves would warp into it.</p><p> </p><p>He set the thrusters to their lowest setting remotely, bringing the howling wind to an end at last. His mop of fierce white finally settled into place. And he was still getting closer.</p><p> </p><p>I felt so...collected?<br/>
Yet, so vulnerable at the same time…<br/>
Like, you <em> can’t </em> be serious. You <em> can’t </em> think you’re <em> this </em> much of a <em> hotshot. </em></p><p> </p><p>But whatever I was thinking, he obviously couldn’t hear it. And I’m pretty sure if he could, he wouldn’t give a shit. He kept on approaching.</p><p> </p><p>He kept on approaching.<br/>
As Ontos and I watched, our weapons ready. <br/>
Ready for him to make the grave mistake of stepping into our range with nothing backing him up.</p><p>Honestly, <br/>
I started to smile a bit.<br/>
If it was going to be this easy, I might as well have taken that nap I wanted so badly earlier.</p><p> </p><p>The face of Alicorn was now a voice. “Greetings. Salutations. All that.”</p><p> </p><p>Yeah, whatever.<br/>
Spout your sinister nonsense.<br/>
Just make sure you keep coming to me.</p><p> </p><p>“Earth, huh? Doesn’t look like it anymore. But I guess it <em> has </em> been a long time since <em> I’ve </em> been here. It wasn’t a wasteland like it is now, that’s for sure.” </p><p> </p><p>I narrow my eyes, looking to my brother for reassurance.<br/>
Ontos’ gaze paints the same perplex as how I’d seemed to feel, so that was validating enough.<br/>
We were both seeming to wonder why this guy was acting so casual with us. </p><p>You call my home a <em>wasteland?</em> <br/>
You think you have any right to call my home <em>anything?<br/>
</em>You feign sympathy, acting like I’m your friend, and that’s <em>really</em> <em>pissing me off.</em></p><p> </p><p>“Silly me. Guess introductions are in order first. Never been all that great at first impressions, ya know?”</p><p> </p><p>Screw you.<br/>
<em> Screw everything about you.<br/>
</em> <em> Keep getting closer to me. I dare you. </em></p><p> </p><p>“Allow me. My name is <b> <em>Icarus</em> </b> <em> , </em> and I’ve been meaning to return to this place for a <em> long ass time. </em>”</p><p> </p><p>A <em> Long ass time </em> , huh?<br/>
You’re <em> severely </em> under crediting just how much that terminology equates here.<br/>
<em> Two thousand years and counting, and you act like that number doesn’t mean shit. </em></p><p>I was pretty sure I already hated Alicorn. Of course I did.<br/>
But that was as an entity.<br/>
The thought of hating Alicorn <em> personally? </em> That was making me giddy.</p><p>That’ll do it. That’ll ignite someone's fury alright.<br/>
I felt a rush. I’ve wanted this for so long.<br/>
I’ve wanted a neck to snap that wasn’t mechanical. </p><p>I’ve wanted to have someone like you show up here, thinking you’re hot shit.<br/>
I’ve wanted the smugness. The licorice-laced “everything is just <em> fine </em> ” tone of voice.<br/>
I’ve wanted this for so long. I’ve wanted to snuff it out. I’ve wanted to splatter it all over the floor.</p><p>I’ve wanted to carve it.<br/>
To crush it.<br/>
To <b> <em>burn it.</em> </b></p><p> </p><p>Ontos returns words to the man in my place. “Return? I’m afraid you won’t find much left...But you already knew that.” </p><p>He was used to quipping games. I could tell. “Heh. I didn’t come for <em> much. In fact, I came to say “hi.” That’s it. </em>” </p><p>I couldn’t take it anymore. “<em> Hi?!” Who the hell do you think you are?! This is </em> <b> <em>Elysium</em> </b> <em> , this is </em> <b> <em>my</em> </b> <em> turf. And I know you’re with them...I </em> <b> <em>know you’re with whoever the fuck keeps sending those goddamn machines to attack my turf.</em> </b> <em>   So you, and anyone else you know, don’t </em> <b> <em>get</em> </b> <em> to say “hi” to me. Not after two-thousand years of </em> <b> <em>that shit.</em> </b> <em> ”  </em></p><p>He returns my barking almost instantly. “Yeah? That’s too bad, <em> Aegis </em> . You can be as peppered as you want, I still came to talk. <em>So that’s</em> <em> what I’m going to do. </em>” </p><p>“<em> Oh yeah? I hope brevity is your strong suit, then.” </em> <em><br/>
<br/>
</em></p><p><em> Because, <br/>
</em> <em> you’re exactly where I want you now.<br/>
</em> <em> You’re close enough. You’re in my range. </em></p><p><em> I don’t care who you are.<br/>
</em> <em> I don’t care what you want.<br/>
</em> <em> I never have. I never will. You all want to tear everything I’ve built to ashes. </em></p><p><em> I won’t let you.<br/>
</em> <em> I’ll refuse you until that stupid Conduit shuts me off </em> <b> <em>itself</em> </b> <em> . <br/>
</em> <em> So, with that out of the way...I’ll just go ahead and end this “talk”. </em> <b> <em>Now.</em> </b></p><p>
  <em> I hope you get to say what you want in the afterlife. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“<b> <em>Pneuma.</em> </b> Do not move a muscle. I mean this.”</p><p>I snap out of my thoughts, discarding my intentions to answer Ontos. “H-Huh?! What the hell do you mean, Ontos?! No way! This could be <em> our </em> <b> <em>only</em> </b> <em> chance! You’d really throw this aside? He’s not even armed!” </em></p><p>He snaps back at me, and quickly too. “Pneuma, use your head. Do you <em> really </em> think he’d come alone? Do you <em> really </em> think he knows <em> nothing </em> about you? <em> Would a lone person take any sort of chance like that against </em> <b> <em>you</em> </b> <em> ?” </em></p><p>Shit. He’s right, and I wish he weren’t. “...Urgh. Y-Yeah...There's no way he came by himself...Ontos, did you see anyone, or <em> anything else </em> with him?” </p><p> </p><p>The man in the black armor stopped approaching. He was simply watching us go back and forth now, waiting for his opportunity to speak. I glanced at him. He was smirking.</p><p> </p><p>Ontos points me to the upper shell. I can’t see anything past it, but I knew Ontos would say what was on his mind before I could object.</p><p>“Up above us...hidden amidst the sea of stars, in the blackness of space...is <em> something. </em>” </p><p>“<em> S-Something? O-Ontos, now’s </em> <b> <em>not</em> </b> <em> the time for your antics. Be specific!” </em></p><p><em> “I cannot. I don’t know what it is. But I do know that there </em> <b> <em>is</em> </b> <em> something…” </em></p><p> </p><p>His next words shake me to my core, sending the chills right back through me.<br/>
How could I have been so blind? So <em> stupid?! </em></p><p> </p><p>“...<em> and that “something” is targeting you. I advised you not to move a muscle earlier because I know that if you do, and it detects it, it will fire. I do not want any harm to come to you. Please do not go against me.”  </em></p><p> </p><p>I’m at a loss for words...Ontos spotted all of that, and I didn’t have a clue. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Goddammit. Dammit! Is it targeting you too?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Yes.” </em>
</p><p>I’m just about ready to pull my hair out. “<b> <em>Arrrrggggh! Shit!</em> </b> <em> ” </em> I howl, whipping my head back over to our newly-met adversary. “ <em> Alright. Fine. You wanna talk?! Start talking.” </em></p><p> </p><p>The man in armor gets a bit closer before replying. He knows I’m just playing for looks now.</p><p> </p><p>“Still trying to act cool? That’s fine. Just know - there’ll be questions. Questions I know you’ve got answers to. Your little friend made you aware, I’ve got you under my thumb. So I hope for your sake you take that little tidbit and decide, <em> correctly </em>, for yourself, what the best course of action is to take once we get to the questions.” </p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Ontos deactivates his weapon.</p><p>I dissipate the Ether around the Aegis Sabre.</p><p> </p><p>The three of us were all just standing around now.<br/>
Like we were buddies.<br/>
Like we were just <em> talking. </em></p><p> </p><p>It was like he planned for it. </p><p>I was trapped. Ontos was trapped.</p><p> </p><p>And he was free to talk about whatever he wanted.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Warning Shot</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em> “The </em> <b> <em>hell?!</em> </b> <em> What makes you think I can do that? And </em> <b> <em>what</em> </b> <em> makes you think I’d ever do it </em> <b> <em>for you</em> </b> <em> ?” </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> I was beginning to seriously tire of hearing the word ‘Conduit.’<br/></em> <em> But I guess, from Alicorn, who’s been chasing me around like I’m some mouse for centuries,<br/></em> <em> I should have expected it. </em></p>
<p><em> Other than to use me as a weapon or a pawn, I’m pretty sure nobody with ill intentions would ever seek me out so aggressively for anything </em> <b> <em>other</em> </b> <em> than </em> <b> <em>that.</em> </b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> “Aegis, don’t talk like I’ve got no idea who you are. We’ve been buddies for-” </em>
</p>
<p><em> “We haven’t been “buddies” for shit. I don’t know you, and </em> <b> <em>you’re nothing to me.</em> </b> <em> What I </em> <b> <em>do</em> </b> <em> know, is what you’ve done. What you’ve done to my life - my heart - Elysium - </em> <b> <em>and MY dreams.</em> </b> <em> ” </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> He stays with that smirk.<br/></em> <em> He must think this is all a game.<br/></em> <em> He must be dying to make me a player, too. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> “So what makes you think I’d ever take you to The Conduit?” I start to laugh, a little, “You’ve wasted your time. I’d rather one of us die here instead, if I’m being honest with you~.”  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> Ontos looks at me with pause. I guess he doesn’t quite know about this side of me.<br/></em> <em> The side of me that's volatile. The side of me that’d throw herself away.<br/></em> <em> Sure, I wouldn’t do it for just anything, not anymore. But for </em> <b> <em>this?</em> </b> <em> For Elysium? Giving my life is a no-brainer. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> “You must not have understood me earlier…” Icarus huffs a bit, expression still licorice-laced. “I didn’t say “could you please, Aegis,” I said “you’re </em> <b> <em>going</em> </b> <em> to.” </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Ontos clutches his weapon tighter. I know he’s trying hard to listen to his own advice. Trying not to set whatever is targeting us up there off. I can’t blame him. Hearing that punk run his mouth is giving me a headache, too. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> “And what makes you think you have place to give those sorts of demands? </em> <b> <em>You</em> </b> <em> mustn't have understood </em> <b> <em>her.</em> </b> <em> She’d give her life up in an instant, if it meant keeping that much power out of your hands.” Ontos...actually smirks a bit. But I could tell it wasn’t the most confident of his. “Oh, and I wouldn’t press her. I wouldn’t test that theory. My sister can, and will indeed become a ticking time bomb.” </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> I remembered something just now.<br/></em> <em> Ontos...he knows something about The Conduit and why it moves around like it does.<br/></em> <em> He knows that, for as much of a bitch as it is to pull off, you can bring it to a single place, if only briefly.  </em></p>
<p><em> I think Ontos is banking on Icarus </em> <b> <em>not knowing</em> </b> <em> this.<br/></em> <em> Because if he doesn’t…<br/></em> <em> then...  </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> “So, Icarus, what’ll it be? If the Conduit is so precious to you, then you </em> <b> <em>know</em> </b> <em> you can’t kill me, right? You can’t kill me, or make me talk.” </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> I myself wasn’t even sure how he plans to use my Core Crystal to summon The Conduit.<br/></em> <em> I’d never heard of it being able to do such a thing, so I was lost on why he was so hung up over getting me to come with him.<br/></em> <em> I didn’t care, though. I set my cards on the table. He wasn’t getting shit from me. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Still, he started with his laughter again. “What, you think I’m the bad guy? Okay. Color me the bad guy. In fact, that makes this easier, even.” He snickers some more. “Yeah. I definitely want you on that thought process, Aegis, because it’ll be perfect for this next one.”  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> The hell…? </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> “So, Aegis. I’ll come right out with it. I </em> <b> <em>am</em> </b> <em> the one that’s been sending you all of those machines. I’m the one who sent the first strike, and every other one after that. In fact, let me throw you another bone while I’m feeling generous. The face of Alicorn? I’m your guy. I call the shots and I </em> <b> <em>have</em> </b> <em> been ever since you got on my radar.” </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> Not surprising.<br/></em> <em> Not in the least bit.<br/></em> <em> But something about getting it spelled out for me was making my blood boil even hotter. </em></p>
<p><em> I wish I could burn you to ashes.<br/></em> <em> I’d do it if my brother weren’t in danger, too.<br/></em> <em> For now, I have to listen to this crap. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> “Now that we’re square on that. Tell me something. I’m the bad guy, right? You’re the good guy? Let’s keep that line of thinkin’ going.” He cracks a few of his joints, taking in a quick breath. “While it may not have been all up close and personal, you and I have been goin at it for the past two thousand years, give or take.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Yea. And you sure kept me waiting. I was wondering how much longer you’d planned on hiding behind all of those machines. Y’see, there are bad guys, and then there’s just scumbags. I think you fit the latter. Because scumbags...they like to run, they like to hide.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “Semantics.” He shoves and waves a dismissive hand in front of him. “You call it scum play, I call it tactics. Look 'em up.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Icarus shakes his head through another chuckle, returning to my eyes with a grin.  </em>
</p>
<p><em> “Point is, if I could keep my end of this whole sha-bang up and running like a well-oiled machine, I must not be all that dumb.” He looked over to Ontos, still grinning. “So what makes </em> <b> <em>you two</em> </b> <em> think you’re the wisecracks here? If the last two millennia haven’t made it clear, this meeting should have spelled it out nicely for you: </em> <b> <em>I cover my bases.</em> </b> <em> ”  </em></p>
<p>
  <em> His eyes focus back to me. “You aren’t to be trifled with, Aegis, I’ll give you that and then some. You’ve kept up. I tried my damn hardest to break you all these years. Figured you’d just come with me, all quiet and cute, once your mind couldn’t handle it anymore...But you’re good. You’re used to this. So much so, I think if I was actually one of your pals, I’d be worried.”  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> “How flattering.” I hiss. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> “You haven’t addressed anything yet, however.” Ontos interjects. We both still have the upper hand here. “If she is saying that she won’t comply with you, and is willing to die to prove it, that leaves your hands tied. I don’t think you have anymore talking points left, Icarus. So I’d rather you not waste any more of our time.”  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> We really had him.<br/></em> <em> If Ontos is the only one that knows how to make The Conduit reappear… </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> “Come on now. You want me to give up that badly? Sorry, that’s not how this works…” </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> In what feels like an instant.<br/></em> <em> The cool air of the night ignites into a fury of flame. All through my body.<br/></em> <em> A flurry of pain. All through my heart. </em></p>
<p><em> It’s not just me, either.<br/></em> <em> Ontos also feels it.<br/></em> <em> We were both on one knee, struggling to stand. </em></p>
<p><em> It fired.<br/></em> <em> Whatever Ontos warned be about earlier had attacked us from amidst it’s hideaway in the bed of the black of space.<br/></em> <em> It was agonizing. It </em> <b> <em>burned. </em> </b> <em> But he wasn’t trying to kill us, I knew it from the pressure of the split-second blast. I’d been hit with way worse than this just in the past week alone. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> My brother and I winced and groaned on the ground as amber sparks flashed all around us, each one stinging like hornets with grenades strapped to them. It was an immobilization Art. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> “Feel that? I know, it’s just a fraction of what my machines are capable of. I did that because I need you to know </em> <b> <em>this: Upping the intensity is not a problem. Like I said, you’re going to take me to The Conduit. And I don’t need to just kill you, either ...Not now, anyway. I know you’ve been protecting this place. Protecting it from me. But Aegis… Just cuz you were created to oversee this world doesn’t mean you’re the only thing in it.”</em> </b></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> T-The hell…? </em> <em><br/></em> <em> How does he know about that?<br/></em> <em> He knows why I was created? </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><b> <em>“You’re not the center of the universe. And I’m not necessarily after </em> </b> <span class="u"><b> <em>you</em> </b></span> <b> <em>, just what’s allowing <span class="u">you to </span></em> </b><span class="u"> <b> <em>exist.</em> </b></span> <b> <em> Remember how I said I cover my bases? If my aim is The Conduit, that’s the bullseye. Not you. You’re just another spot where my darts can land that’ll score me the points. See what I’m getting at?”</em> </b></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> My vision starts to falter. Being beneath him was infuriating.<br/></em> <em> And Ontos must have been hit harder than me...He can’t even lift his head up as I am right now.<br/></em> <em> Something was telling me the upper hand we had was just an illusion. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b> <em>“Alicorn is more than just the folks that’s been sending you toys to play with. I’ve got reach. Wider than even the night sky above us. The Conduit, I know it in and out...It moves through those stars. But you can capture it, you can make it stay put.”</em> </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> Dammit...No…<br/></em> <em> No…<br/></em> <em> Goddammit… </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> He heaves a sarcastic sigh. <br/></em> <b> <em>“Aegis, you’re one of the ways I can get it to do that. But you’re not everything. Not in the least bit. My plans go all the way to Z, and they get messier with each letter. You may have been able to stay and protect this rotting piece of shit planet, but you can’t protect them all. Your flames don’t burn that bright. And you’ve got no idea what else I could be up to.”</em> </b></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> He fires another blast that hits us both<br/></em> <em> This time, he magnified it’s power.<br/></em> <em> My ears are ringing. My body feels like it’s wrapped in smoldering chains. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b> <em>“...This is one of my sleights of hand. You’re one piece I could move. And this is only one dart on the board. But I’ve got way, way more. And way more places…”</em> </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> Ontos lost the support of his knees as another blast hit him, and then hit him again.<br/></em> <em> I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t move. I wanted to lose it. I wanted him to be okay.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> “ </em> <b> <em>...for those darts to land.” Icarus returns his helmet over his head and remotely activates his gigantic ship. But he doesn’t go anywhere.</em> </b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b> <em>“So, Aegis, lemme just remind you a second time...”</em> </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> His voice inside of the helmet is downright demonic, being filtered and distorted through the metallic openings. I feel like I’m speaking to a whole new person. He wasn’t ‘some guy’ anymore, he wasn’t personal anymore. He was away from me now. He was back to being an entity. Back to being a nightmare. </em>
</p>
<p><em> And he wanted me to see all of that for what it was.<br/></em> <em> He had come to show his hand, and that’s what he did.<br/></em> <em> He had come to show his hand, I knew. </em></p>
<p><em> Because he fired again.<br/></em> <em> The machine hidden within the stars...It fired again.<br/></em> <em> The blast that time… </em></p>
<p><em> It completely obliterated the upper shell.<br/></em> <em> The night sky was no longer tinted.<br/></em> <em> But that wasn’t all. Not in the least bit. </em></p>
<p><em> His blast had taken off a massive chunk of the main shell. The inner layers of the barrier.<br/></em> <em> The one that protected Elysium. The one that I couldn’t allow to be compromised.<br/></em> <em> But he was still just </em> <b> <em>toying.</em> </b></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> Because the part of the shell he had hit encased nothing but empty plains and beaches near one of the coasts.<br/></em> <em> Long since abandoned. Long since dead. There were no people.<br/></em> <em> He fired that blast just to show me that he could.  </em></p>
<p><em> That was a warning shot.<br/></em> <em> That was his way of telling me that I wasn’t the bullseye.<br/></em> <em> He didn’t even aim the blast at me. </em></p>
<p><em> Ontos writhed on the ground from taking four direct hits.<br/></em> <em> I watched my brother suffer there, unable to do anything.<br/></em> <em> I had only taken two hits, and I was still almost fully immobile. I felt pathetic. I felt worthless. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> I watched the upper shell crumble completely, along with multiple layers of the main shell.<br/></em> <em> But he left the both of us alive.<br/></em> <em> Especially me. In fact I think he meant to kill Ontos, or at the very least, didn’t care if Ontos survived those blasts or not. But my brother wasn’t going down so easily. </em></p>
<p><em>After all of that, after each new tear in my mind, in my unevenly beating heart... something was made painfully clear to me.<br/></em> <em> Painfully clear, in that moment.<br/></em><em>I really was just a ‘space’. Just one place on his dart board. And he still wanted me there. He still wanted to keep flinging darts at me, so I’d make his bullseye easier later. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><b> <em>“...I got no qualms with upping the intensity. I could really use ya, but if you really are so ready to die like you say you are, it’s fine by me. I just hope </em> </b> <b> <em>you’ll</em> </b> <b> <em> be happy dying while knowing that none of this started with you, and none of it will end with you. I’m going to find it, and then I’m taking back what belongs to me. End of story.”</em> </b></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> The howling wind picked up again.<br/></em> <em> His voice trailed off as he entered his ship, taking off in a matter of minutes.<br/></em> <em> Torturous minutes. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Ontos collapsed. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> And soon, so would I. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> But I wouldn’t forget it. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> I wouldn’t be forgetting a single word of this talk.<br/></em> <em> Not for a long time. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> For now, my mind was as blank as a fresh page.<br/></em> <em> I’d finally gotten that nap, I suppose. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> But I knew that I’d have a whole mountain of thoughts to sift through once I’d gotten back up. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Healing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“H-Hey!”<br/><br/></p><p>“A-Argh! S-Sister…”<br/><br/>“ <em> Ontos, just hold still! I’m sorry I can’t make the Ether cooler, but you have to deal with it.”  </em></p><p> </p><p>I wish I had Nia. I wish she were here for times like this.<br/>She was one of the most loveable things in existence, for the short time I knew her.<br/>And she was also a healing Blade. <em> I’m not. </em> So my healing “Arts” are nothing but me re-tuning my own <em> usually </em> scalding hot Ether to try and soothe pains. I can’t see the things Nia could when she was healing...I can’t see inside someone's heart, pinpointing the source of the wound. I just wing it.</p><p>Ontos finally stops flinching, letting me in so I can treat him. I quivered looking at his Ether burns...they were pretty bad. Nasty marks, too. <br/>If Nia were here, she’d be able to heal my brother even as far as removing the scars...I can’t do anything like that. I just have to focus on taking the pain away. I’m sorry Ontos, those are gonna look awful, and may not go away...I’m sorry.<br/>Icarus may not have been “shoot-to-kill” with those blasts. But he <em> definitely </em> wasn’t concerned, at all, with Ontos’ life. </p><p> </p><p>He covers his mouth, stifling his moans as I glide my hands across his back, trying to primitively mimic Nia’s technique. I try my best to be gentle, decreasing my Ether’s heat to as low as I can get it. I make my way to his lower back, and he starts to shiver, flinching once again. ‘<em> Too cold?’ </em> I think to myself, deciding to increase the temperature just a little as I leave a hand compressed to the lower area, guiding my free hand around over his stomach. It’s... <em> well, it isn’t </em> <b> <em>not</em> </b> <em> working, but these burns are so severe I’m not sure if it’ll be enough.  </em></p><p> </p><p>“H-How is it…?”<br/><br/></p><p>Ontos groans, clearing his throat. “It’s fine, I think you are doing okay.” Is what he <em> said. </em> But even I could see my hob-job plainly. Those wounds were barely getting better, at best. And he still had to stifle pained moans. It was making me sick. Not at him, but at myself. I wish there was <em> anything </em> I could do right.</p><p>“O-Okay…” I begin to slide my hands toward his chest. The worst of his burns were there. I try to keep up the consistency, hoping that something would just <em> work. But when the tips of my fingers get there... </em></p><p>“Argh! Pneuma! Be careful.” He hisses, though he doesn’t mean to.</p><p> </p><p>“S-Shit! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” </p><p> </p><p>I immediately released him from my hold. He began to pant, which made me feel even worse. I knew that it wasn't his fault he was still in pain. <em> That’s why </em> I felt like shit. </p><p>I’ve only ever tried healing things that were either unconscious or mechanical...I had no experience healing conscious things that were living. It was a lot more nuanced...It was confusing. This was all so unfamiliar to me, I could only think to try and copy Nia. </p><p> </p><p>But those burns...they still just look so bad.<br/>His lower back was tightened by the cold from my hands.<br/>His upper chest was already hot as is...and so the heat from my Ether there might have honestly just begun to cauterize it.</p><p>It was unbelievably messy.<br/>Every burned area was still red, and he was still wincing...trying to make himself look calm.<br/>He wanted me to think I did a good job, but I could tell. I could tell I wasn’t helping a thing.</p><p>He slides back over to me, silently requesting I continue trying. <br/>Requesting I continue making a mockery of my dead friend.<br/>He only had one Art for treating wounds, and that art wasn’t going to be enough for these.</p><p> </p><p>I didn’t have <em> any </em> healing Arts. Not formally anyway.<br/>I was just the only one of the two of us who could use The Conduit to perform phase-shifts.<br/>So I had to trust that. And I did. I kept trusting it.</p><p>I kept messing up.<br/>He kept flinching, but he stuck with me.<br/>It was such a complex process, I even hurt myself a few times trying to get it right.</p><p> </p><p>How funny.<br/>The battle Blade that burns shit all the time can hurt herself with her <em> own Ether </em> .<br/><em> When </em> she’s trying to make <em> someone else </em> feel better. </p><p> </p><p>“O-Ouch.” I squeal. “My hands...they’re too cold. I’m sorry, Ontos...Can you stand, at least? I don’t think I can do this right now, I’m too tense.”</p><p> </p><p>Ontos tries to rise, but his burns still sting him a bunch. He opts just to sit down, shaking his head, moving on to watching the night sky that would soon be early morning. That entire section of the shell was still shattered from when Icarus destroyed it, too. It’d need repairing, which would cost me more power.</p><p> </p><p>I took to looking at the cool, pale moon with Ontos…<br/>I don’t think all of today’s events had hit me yet.<br/>But they would, soon. I knew they would. I had a lot to think about.</p><p> </p><p>“Icarus…” the words slither off of my tongue. I had finally done it. I’d finally met the face of all my terrors for the past two thousand years. I’d finally seen the eyes and ears and hair of Alicorn at last. The one calling the shots. The one flinging darts at the board. The one who talked like he was your buddy, yet sounded like he’d never consider a soul his friend for a million years, even if you wheeled him The Conduit on a wagon. He was the one who had plans all the way to Z, and had enough metal grunts to back him up. He was nothing to me, but Alicorn was what he <em> was, too. </em> And Alicorn, for the past two thousand years, has been everything...They’ve kept me from sleeping...They’ve knocked me out cold. They’ve taken so much from me and given me tremors and night terrors in return. I felt my stomach knot thinking about how <em> routine </em> this all was. He had set his cards out right in front of me, dangling his plans in my face like a carrot, knowing that I couldn’t pursue him for shit. ‘ <em> You’re going to take me to The Conduit. And I don’t </em> <b> <em>need</em> </b> <em> to just kill you, either…’ </em> were the words that beat in my head like a drum. They brushed across the back of my neck, completely souring the gentle breeze of the night.</p><p> </p><p>The cold moon was casting it’s light over my brother and I, just as Alicorn had cast its shadow, all those years ago.<br/>And yet, I could <em> see </em> the moon. I could see it every night.<br/>But the face of Alicorn? Even though I <em> had </em> just seen it...He went right back to being invisible.</p><p> </p><p>Right to being to my “distant buddy.” <br/>Right back to giving me tremors.<br/>Right back to being a nightmare. </p><p>I was cold.<br/>Losing it.<br/>And, through all of it, furious.</p><p>Yes, I was still furious. Furious as all hell.<br/>Furious that he’d show up with his demands. Furious that he knew just how to make me listen.<br/>Furious that he hurt my brother. </p><p>I hate this. All of it.<br/>Because, for as furious as I was.<br/>I was still <em> stuck. </em></p><p>There was no way he was done with me.<br/>And I had a barrier to repair and maintain.<br/>I had Elysium to protect. I couldn’t go <em> any-fucking-where to try and tail him. </em></p><p> </p><p>And I couldn’t heal Ontos…<br/>I wanted to reach back over, to try again...but he’d already started putting his undershirt and coat back over himself.<br/>And so I just returned to looking, looking at the moon.</p><p>Looking at it’s pale light.<br/>Does The Conduit shine that brightly?<br/>I honestly wish I knew. Compared with Ontos’ story, I guess it did. Maybe it shined brighter.</p><p>But all I had was his word to trust…<br/>I wanted more...I needed <em>something.<br/></em>I can’t go after Icarus. <em>I can’t beat him</em> <em>at all</em> <em>if I</em> <em>stay</em> <em>on Elysium.</em> And I can’t heal Ontos right now.</p><p> </p><p>I’m stuck.<br/>And more than anything else, at least at this very second, I just didn’t want Ontos to be in pain anymore.<br/>I...I’m desperate. <em> My own Ether burns were nothing compared to his, but they still taunted me. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> There were burn marks on my arm under the shattered armor, and tears all across my nylon tights. They went past my thighs, up my stomach, and through my chest. It didn’t hurt, at least I wasn’t wincing, but it felt like I was violated. I really was under that scumbag’s thumb. The mild stings across my body were less painful than they were just...miserable. Miserable because it wouldn’t matter how much I hated them, how much I wish I weren’t taken advantage of, he had still gotten away. I still had Elysium to protect. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “…If only you were here to teach me an actual Art, I could at least take care of my brother…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> I whispered those words to myself silently, tears welling in my eyes, which made the moon look bubbly.<br/></em> <em> I was drained. Sapped. I thought seeing my nemesis at last would fill me with rage. And I guess it sort of did...but I couldn’t act on it.<br/></em> <em> I was stuck. </em></p><p> </p><p><em> I had begun to wish I didn’t wake up from being knocked out.<br/></em> <em> I just want a sign...something...a way to move forward.<br/></em> <em> I’m stuck. Don’t you see, Father? Rex? I’m stuck. </em></p><p><em> Can The Conduit see? Does that thing have eyes? I hope so…<br/></em> <em> I hope it’s watching all of this. It’s the thing powering me, yet it stays so far away from me, answering my cries from a distance, when it feels like it.<br/></em> <em> But it never comes to see me...It never has. </em> <b> <em>It’s </em> </b> <em> power is what I need now, a wish is what I need right now. If I could just become stronger - stronger than right now, I could do it. </em></p><p><em> I could look for Icarus, and whoever else.<br/></em> <em> I could make the barrier even stronger, so that I could do that. </em> <em><br/></em> <em> I could take care of my brother...He’s still not handling the burns well. </em></p><p> </p><p><em> I call him back over. I’m still tense, but I just feel so bad.<br/></em> <em> It goes about the same as I’d expected. Flinching. Me hurting myself and backing off again.<br/></em> <em> My hands were shaking each time I made an attempt. I was falling apart. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Come on...Come on…” </em>
</p><p><em> “Pneuma, do not stress-” </em> <em><br/></em></p><p>
  <em> “I’m already stressed. I’m stressed enough. That doesn’t matter now. I need to focus.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> Alright…<br/></em> <em> I have to do this.<br/></em> <em> I have to just </em> <b> <em>at least</em> </b> <em> get this right. </em></p><p><em> I could think about all the other stuff later. I need to do something right.<br/></em> <em> I need to make him feel better.<br/></em> <em> Come on… </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “A-Agh! Dammit.” I had made my hands too cold again. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> This was going nowhere.<br/></em> <em> But I recovered, putting my hands back around him.<br/></em> <em> I had hung my head, trying to remember...Trying to get her memories to help me. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> But then, I felt a tingle up my arm. It startled the hell out of me. The tingles got more rhythmic, like there was something crawling on me.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “W-What the hell-” I yelp. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Shhh. Pyra. Chill.” A soft voice followed by warm air wisps into my ear. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “What’s...What was-”  What I had felt...was skin. Rubbing. Over the portion of my arm under the armor that was shattered, someone's hand was gliding across it. It was supple, young-looking, and fair. The nails were slightly longer than average, which gave the sliding fingers a roughness to them when they’d curl near my elbow.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Pneuma?” Ontos confusedly tries to turn around, but I stop him. He groans, unsure of why I’d do that, but listens to me anyway. Not even I had a clue why I did it. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Hey. Hey, ye gotta chill. Look, see. Yer doin’ it all wrong.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “H-Huh?” I try looking to my left, then my right. Nothing was there. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> I thought I was going crazy.<br/></em> <em> I thought I’d definitely finally lost it.<br/></em> <em> And this was made even worse for me when... </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> A warm presence pressed up against me. It was guiding my arm now. “If you want to take care’uv these kindsa wounds, you gotta be slow. Yer doin it much too fast, Pyra. And you’re not steady. If you’re afraid of your own Ether, yer not gonna be able to make it feel soothing.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> I really felt like I was loopy now.<br/></em> <em> No way was I sane, there’s </em> <b> <em>no</em> </b> <em> way I just heard the voice I thought I did.<br/></em> <b> <em>No way.</em> </b></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I see the fair-skinned fingers entwine into my open palm. The emerald glow from my hands had changed. It was aqua-blue now, like water. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe any of this. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Another gentle whisper filled my ears, panging my heart. My eyes became glossy again as it spoke.<br/>“Oh by the way, it cool if I still call you Pyra?~” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I take the free hand and cover my mouth. Tears rush down my face, but I didn’t want to scream and startle Ontos.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “Come on now. No givin’ up. No gettin’ sappy either.” The silky voice fills all of my senses at once. The soft, guiding hand over mine, as well as the one planted at my stomach, was making my heart race like an olympic runner. I was a sobbing mess now. I was filled with nostalgia and affection and longing and </em> <b> <em>warmth</em> </b> <em> all at once. I was being drowned in a waterfall of love. Love, and memories. Memories from someone so distant, yet right up against me. </em></p><p>
  <em> “ ~ I’m right here, Pyra.~ Come on, get’it together. Ye’ll make me a soppy mess too - and we can’t ave that. I don’t have a lot of time with you, and ye need to get this right.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> The heat and screaming in my chest became more intense with each word. I was sure I’d lost it...but it felt so blissful. I had just wanted to call to it. I wanted to say her name. I wanted to ask her if she was real. But she wanted me to pay attention. And so I listened. I cried. I cried and I listened. I tried not to choke up, so Ontos’ wouldn’t have a reason to turn around.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> She rubs circles in my stomach. “Now follow my lead. I only have time to do this fer ya once.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Some of her grey locs swiped along my neck, almost as if being pushed by her voice. When they started to fan out across my chest, my heart nearly burst.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> She ordered me to return both of my hands to the problem area, and I listened. I still hadn’t got to see her face. It was agony, I wanted to just melt into her. But she wouldn’t let me. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Okay, yer getting it now, Pyra. Just keep it up like that, and…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “O-Oh…” Ontos groaned again, but this time, it wasn’t pained. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> His back started to straighten up again, his posture was returning.<br/></em> <em> The redness was fading away. <br/></em> <em> I was so amazed by what I was seeing. </em></p><p><em> He began to stretch his arms as the tightness inside of him eased up.<br/></em> <em> I was, again, ready to burst.<br/></em> <em> Her free had made its way to my shoulder now, slithering up to my cheek.  </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “P-Pneuma...Wow.” He began to roll his neck. I saw the burn marks shrink all over his back, one by one. It was like magic. His tan skin was returning to normal. Like the blast from Icarus’ machine had never even reached him in the first place. My breathing was so heavy as I watched the sight.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> She had caught one of my falling tears on her fingers, tossing it away, before untangling our hands so that both of hers could caress my face. She pinched my cheeks, just a bit, rubbing her index and her thumb together as she did. “Mmm. All done~. Good work, Pyra. Ye should be able to do it all’un yer own, now.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ontos presses his hands to the ground, pushing himself up onto his feet. “Ah...Thank you, sister.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> I couldn’t pay attention, though.<br/></em> <em> I couldn’t answer him right now<br/></em> <em> Because… </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Oh. By the way, I really miss ya, Pyra. Ye better kick their arses silly and then come say hi. I mean it. Fer now, I’ll just watch over ya. Sound good, yeh?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> I felt her move away from me. Her silky voice trailing off.<br/></em> <em> I couldn’t stand it. I needed her. I needed to thank her.<br/></em> <em> I sprang to my feet, crying out from the bottom of my heart as I jerked around, eyes glossy and wide. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “N-Nia?!” My voice leaped at the same beat as my heart did. I wanted badly to thank her. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> But nobody was there.<br/></em> <em> Nobody met my gaze.<br/></em> <em> Nobody was there to return my cry. </em></p><p><em> The air in the space I was looking at was empty. <br/></em> <em> Just the desolate Center.<br/></em> <em> I didn’t know if I imagined her. I didn’t know if The Conduit gave her to me. I didn’t know anything. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I just knew… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Pneuma? Is everything alright? I heard you crying, but I didn’t want to break your focus.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> ...I knew, at last, that my loved ones from beyond the grave actually </em> <b> <em>could</em> </b> <em> see me. They </em> <b> <em>could</em> </b> <em> hear me. They knew I was fighting. They knew how hard I was trying. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> They knew my fury couldn’t end here. </em>
</p><p>
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</p><p><em> I purr into the cold night air, hoping she’s purring right along with me. “...Thank you. </em> <b> <em>Thank you, Nia.</em> </b> <em> ” </em></p><p>
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  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Deck To Shuffle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The cold night air was still dancing across my back, and along the ruptures and tears of my tights and armor. The simmering heat of my frustration clashed heavily with the coolness of the breeze, which, despite being fiercer before, had grown much more shallow now. A sign that morning was coming soon. </p><p>Seeing, well...at least getting to <em> feel </em> Nia’s presence again had softened my heart a bit. Enough to give me the strength to keep going for just a little longer. My wounds were even healed too. She took care of me <em> while </em> teaching how to perform her Healing Circle. </p><p>Nia really was amazing. In both life <em> and </em> death. I miss her. I miss all of them. I should have been right out the door with them.</p><p> </p><p>...But, I knew the drill at this point.</p><p>It just wasn’t going to<em> ever </em>be that easy for me, huh?<br/>And while, yeah, Nia’s love had given me another flicker to my resolve.<br/>Another reason to keep going…</p><p>I was still <em> stuck.<br/></em> All of those problems from before <em> still </em> persisted.<br/>So, I had the strength again, to keep going...But I didn’t have <em> anywhere </em> to go.</p><p> </p><p>“Pneuma, how are you feeling? If you need to rest, I could keep watch.” </p><p> </p><p>I shrugged, looking toward the horizon, past the part of the barrier that was shattered.<br/>The hardness of ground at The Center had <em> also </em> clashed heavily with my newfound softness inside.</p><p>I chuckled, lightly, and only a bit. I felt like my own body was making fun of me for wanting to cry. It was something that was a little beside even myself.<br/>But I think I was just... <em> really </em> starting to understand how insidious all of this had become.</p><p> </p><p>“ N-No...It’s going to be morning soon, Ontos. Besides...I was already knocked unconscious. Should have gotten a few hours outta that.” I gave another single chuckle, staring back at my brother. “I-I’ll be fine. How bout you? I do a good job?” </p><p>He patted down on his chest with his palm, twice. “Yeah. All of my Ether burns have healed. There aren’t even any scars left.”</p><p> </p><p>He lazily threw his coat on over his undershirt, which had him looking, honestly, like an untidy mess that had just seen a ghost. But I couldn’t blame him. Things had kinda gotten...<em> real shitty. </em> For the both of us.</p><p>I look back toward the cracked shell. <br/>It was, well, it certainly <em> was </em> my sky. My hope. And me.<br/><em> I sigh, heavily. Because all of this was just...a mess.  </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...Got somethin else I have to heal now, too.” </em>
</p><p>“How long will that take you to repair?”</p><p> </p><p>I ball my fist, remembering all of it.<br/>... <em> Icarus… <br/></em> <em> You did this…  </em>“Honestly, with that much gone, probably an hour or more.”</p><p>Ontos stepped a bit closer to me while speaking. “Hmm…” his tone of voice changed. It was matched, now, with the way he’d usually produce his voice when he’d get like <em> that. </em> The way he likes to speak when he wants to be cryptic, because he’d just come up with something. </p><p> </p><p>Usually, it’d just annoy me, but this time? I honestly felt comforted by it. I <em> needed </em> answers. And I wasn’t getting <em> any </em> from the <em> only </em> other person who <em> could </em> give them to me. </p><p> </p><p>“...Pneuma, we need to discuss something. <em>Something</em> <em>Important for you, me, and everything concerning our fight with </em><b><em>them</em></b><em> going forward.”</em></p><p>“Alicorn?” I figured I’d just listen. If they actually attacked us now...It <em> would </em> be a bit worse, given our stamina, but probably not too much worse, as none of the areas enclosed by the shell with actual living inhabitants were harmed. Again, Icarus gave me a warning shot. A warning I still wasn’t sure what to do with...Because there was no way I had planned to just waltz on over to him and be his ticket to that stupid Conduit.</p><p>“Yes.” Ontos brushed some of his bangs and length of his hair out of the way, giving me a straight look at his eyes. He was serious about this. Probably more serious than the Ontos I’d spoken with half a century ago. “I will even save you the cryptics this time, sister, as I’d rather opt to make this <em> very </em>clear. I’ve thought long and diligently the past few hours, and, while you certainly may think it a stretch, I believe...There may yet be a way we can move ahead in our struggle.” </p><p> </p><p>I needed that...I needed somebody right now that could at least <em> pretend </em> like they had a clue.</p><p> </p><p>“I...Wow. I-I’m all ears, brother.” We both sat down, and I scooted close to him. “I’m lost...I don’t know <em>what</em> to do. A-And I’m <em>stuck. We’re stuck.</em> I’m not saying I don’t trust you, by the way...I just, I dunno...It’s been <em>forever</em> since I’ve felt like I’ve been able to move forward. And Icarus...he’s still out there, and he’s got me pinned here. <b><em>And </em></b><em>he knows it.</em>”</p><p>Before I let my brother speak, another grievance came to me...One <em> just </em> as insidious as all of my other two-thousand-year’s worth of grievances that I'd been having for well...two thousand years. “Plus, there’s something <em> else </em> I’m worried about now… <em> Extremely </em> worried about.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, then let me hear you out first. I’ve a feeling you and I are thinking about the same thing.”</p><p>I tilted my head. I guess this <em> was </em> still <em> Ontos. </em> “Well...Okay, so you remember how he talked about him ‘having reach’ and how ‘I’m not the only space on his dart board’ or whatever?”</p><p>Ontos nods, quite bleakly. “As much as I’d like to disbelieve it...I think I understood what he meant to imply there.”</p><p> </p><p>I exhale the most pouty moan as I tuck myself into my legs, resting my head atop my knees. All of this just hurt. A lot. <br/>I don’t think <em> any </em> Ether burn or stab wound or <em> whatever </em> could compare to the amount of soreness I had in my heart. <br/>Mental scars...they just hurt way more than all of those. Believe me.</p><p> </p><p>“He has to mean <em> other </em> worlds. <em> Other </em> planets. I mean what else could ‘reach’ imply? And Ontos, if that’s truly what Icarus <em> did </em> mean... <em> Then other worlds </em> <b> <em>are</em> </b> <em> in danger. Maybe they have been the whole time.” </em></p><p>Another bleak nod. “Yes. You and I are on the same train of thought. And I myself have learned through my own various centuries of traversing the cosmos, that other worlds have, or have had, living things on them. Of all varieties. All backgrounds. Icarus’ notion of ‘reach’ could only mean that he has either done so, or has at least <em> attempted </em> to gain <em> something </em> from those other worlds.”</p><p>“A-And it’s <em> got </em> to <em> also </em> be in relation to him looking for that Conduit thingy. I swear I wish I could deactivate that stupid space relic remotely sometimes…I wouldn’t have to keep <em> doing </em> this…”</p><p> </p><p>The way Ontos had snorted and shuffled about on his bottom almost gave me a mind to take back what I’d said. <br/>He knows what would happen if I could just turn The Conduit off.<br/>I...I didn’t mean to put <em> that </em> thought on his mind.</p><p>So, while I didn’t retract anything, I tried to move on pretending I <em> didn’t </em> just casually admit my willingness to go through with what was essentially martyr suicide. But laughing it off would probably just upset him, so I didn’t do <em> that </em>. I just kept talking.</p><p> </p><p>“B-But moreover, if he’s using other worlds to try and get to the Conduit, that explains what he was saying about ‘dart boards’. Even if he’d never get me to do what he wants...Who’s to say he won’t just find <em> another </em> way?”</p><p>“We may not know what he wishes to use The Conduit for...But even just from our brief meeting, I sensed incredible malice. Hatred. The same all-resenting sort of actor I once lived amongst, working alongside Zanza. He does not wish to use that device for anything even remotely in the best interest of any other than himself.” </p><p>“Yeah. <em> His </em> type makes me sick. He just... <em> wants to play around, with something </em> <b> <em>that</em> </b> <em> powerful.” ... </em> I remembered more of his words, just then. “Plus, he said he was… <em> ’taking back what </em> <b> <em>belongs</em> </b> <em> to him.” </em>I yanked my head up off of my legs, looking at Ontos entreatly. He gave my eyes back to me vexatiously. </p><p>And even if not literal, at least not <em> right then </em> , he could tell I was crying out. <em> Desperately. “But he can’t be serious, right? The Conduit...it doesn’t belong to anybody!” </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “...” </em> All he can seem to muster is a groan, no doubt choosing to save whatever his <em> ‘master plan’ </em>was for after I was done bitching.</p><p><em> “I’m just...I’ve only just met that douchebag, and I’m already sick of him. But - same as before, we’re stuck, Ontos. And if he comes back and I’m </em> <b> <em>still</em> </b> <em> not ready to come with him...He’s going to fire at Elysium again. And it won’t be just </em> <b> <em>one</em> </b> <em> piece of my barrier. It’ll be all of it. He’ll wipe Elysium off the map if I don’t go with him...Or find some kind of way to get more power. Enough to beat him...But without The Conduit, </em> <b> <em>how</em> </b> <em> can </em> <b> <em>we</em> </b> <em> get stronger?” </em></p><p> </p><p>I give Ontos some talking space, which he acknowledges. He looks toward the horizon, placing his hand in a circle and staring through it like a telescope, into the slowly rising sun.</p><p> </p><p>The breeze had calmed enough by now, and the air was starting to get warmer.<br/>The creeping light through the cracked shell, just like the light from Icarus’ ship the previous night, singled the both of us out. Like we were stars of the show.<br/>Stars that were about to be snuffed out. Pinched like lit matches, leaving nothing but darkness.</p><p> </p><p>“...We’re going to obtain it,<em> first </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Huh?<br/>Did he just say what I <em> think </em> he said?<br/>And...more importantly…</p><p> </p><p>“Uhh…O-Ontos, that <em> sounds </em> wonderful, on paper, but did you <em> not hear anything I just said?” </em></p><p> </p><p>He exhales through his nose, rolling his neck to ease the leftover tension from last night. When he speaks again, it’s bolder, like his mind’s cleared up. It’s confident, too,  but clearly not without some worry. “I heard you loud and clear. You are correct, also. Without The Conduit, we stand little chance against another direct attack from that machine Icarus now possesses in his arsenal. What’s worse, yet, is the fact that we don’t even know what the weapon looks like. So we don’t know if it’s even the same <em> type </em> of weapon as the others. The odd’s could not be more stacked against us. And <em> his </em> cards are on the table. We haven’t even had our hands shuffled for us yet.”</p><p>I moan, sinking back into my legs. “...<em> You say that like we </em> <b> <em>have</em> </b> <em> cards to shuffle” </em></p><p> </p><p>But, in the same bold tone, he replies, almost too fast for someone who took hours to figure this out. When, in two-millennia, I couldn’t come up with much of <em> anything. </em> “We might, Pneuma.”</p><p>And just as quickly, I snap back. “Might <em>how?</em> Again, did you not hear me? <em>We’re stuck! Sure, ya found The Conduit and all, but then it disappeared!</em> <em>The thing never even made it to Elysium.”</em></p><p> </p><p>Ontos digs around in his pockets, soon enough pulling out the round device he showed me a little while ago, in my house. It’s amethyst sheen clashed with the orange morning light in much the same way as it clashed with the amber glow of my Ether lamps</p><p> </p><p>“Just because it is not with <em> us </em> , doesn’t mean it’s behavior has changed. If I could achieve it’s return, regardless of chances, on my <em> own </em>, it might even be more possible yet that we could do it together. Wouldn’t you agree?” </p><p>“A-Are you saying <em> that </em> thing by itself can do it again? It can distort spacetime and make The Conduit come here to fix the anomaly?” </p><p>Fiddling with the device in his fingers, now, he speaks more solemnly. “Unfortunately I don’t think so. Not by itself. There <em> is, </em> of course, distorted spacetime energy still coursing <em> through </em> the object. But, as you can clearly see, it isn’t enough to cause the cataclysm that occurred on the ‘Lost Planet’ we talked about, which I was in the middle of. There were extreme levels of distorted spacetime there, and I believe that is what ushered in The Conduit. The Conduit mended the amount of distorted energy I released onto that world, upon activation of the broken large device that this small device was fit inside.” </p><p>I give a stammered, half hearted sigh, which barely relaxes me. “So you’re saying there’s not enough messed up energy on Earth for us to bring The Conduit here with just that. We need to...make more?”</p><p> </p><p>Ontos shakes his head, finally standing up. I join him, of course. The gentle breeze whisks again, which takes my ponytail with it, and keeps the messy, huge bangs out of my brother's eyes. </p><p> </p><p>“We need to <em> find </em> more. The existence of distorted spacetime energy <em> only </em> came as a result of the late Klaus’ reckless activation of The Conduit, which originally brought into existence The Rift. The Rift is closed now, but The Conduit is still moving sporadically. This can only mean that distorted spacetime energy still exists in enough quantities all through the universe.”</p><p>I begin to pick up on where he’s going with this. “But because we don’t have enough of that energy <em>here,</em> though, The Conduit isn’t going to reappear for us on Elysium.”</p><p>“Correct, it won’t work on Earth. This world is not fit for such an event to take place. Additionally, I wouldn’t want for us to try and activate it on Earth, either. If the distortion became too large, and the same event that took place on the Lost Planet took place here, it could level your Elysiums’ cities before The Conduit came back.”</p><p> </p><p>“And The Conduit…” I wince, remembering my brothers brush with death on the Lost Planet, “It didn’t repair any of that stuff. It just healed all of the <em> natural </em>elements of that planet.” </p><p>“Correct again. It’d be foolish for us to gamble with Elysium like that by trying to force The Conduit <em> here. </em> Being as though this is the very thing you’ve wanted to protect all of these years.”</p><p>“That large device, you said it was shaped like a <em> ‘double helix’, </em>you think we’d need something like that to get enough distortions happening at once?”</p><p>Shaking his head, he gives my answer to me bluntly, which further nerve wracks me. “Possibly. But this device was simply the way <em> I did it </em>. Spacetime distortions vary. We may yet be able to do it another way.”</p><p> </p><p>I wrap my arms around me, swiveling my hips sheepishly, to curb my body starting to tremor. “None of those ‘other ways’ exist <em> here </em> though, going by your word.”</p><p>Annnnd...there it is. The sarcastic Ontos again. It’s clearly still shaky, and somewhat unsure of itself, though. But it’s there. “So then what do you suppose that I mean?” </p><p>Causing <em> my </em> eyes to narrow, my face tightening as I claw dirt from the ground into my fist.<br/> “You...you’re not <em> possibly </em> suggesting we <em> leave </em> Elysium?” I whip an arm out toward the horizon, pointing my finger straight as a laser. “You see that? That barrier... <em> That shield is all me </em> , <em> sweet cakes, and it’s all Elysium has. The further I get from it, the weaker it gets, too. If I go anywhere within even a hundred titan-peds away from Earth, Elysiums barrier will deactivate. I don’t have the power to sustain it from that far, and I can’t risk Alicorn being able to ravage my home, carefree. </em> <b> <em>Especially</em> </b> <em> if your little ‘plan’ to search for distortions is essentially just a wild goose chase.” </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “ </em> Sister-” </p><p>“<b> <em>Get real, Ontos.</em> </b> <em> We’ll have the upper hand if we </em> <b> <em>find</em> </b> <em> The Conduit, sure. Whatever. Because they’ll have to come to us. I get it. I really do. And I know that may seem like our only feasible way out of this. But I’ve said a gazillion times that we’re </em> <b> <em>stuck here.</em> </b> <em> We have no idea where Alicorn is, how much reach Icarus and his machines have, how many distortions there are, or how close they are, and I’M the </em> <b> <em>only </em> </b> <em> one with the ability to use the Art that creates that barrier.” </em></p><p> </p><p>This is probably the most outrageous plan he’s ever suggested.<br/>At least to me.<br/>There was <em> no </em> way I was leaving Elysium a sitting duck to go looking around for random pockets of space that <em> might </em> be messed up enough for us to <em> maybe </em> be able to amplify and get The Conduit to reappear.</p><p> </p><p>“But what other options might we <em> have? </em> You said it yourself, Pneuma, we stay on Earth, we <em> lose, because we cannot pursue Icarus. </em>And Icarus will come back one day, when he is likely more sure himself of how to capture The Conduit. It is abundantly clear you are a factor in all of this, and you're not just going to give yourself up - which means that we can only proceed in one of two ways.”</p><p> </p><p>That’s <em> why </em> I’m losing it... <em> That’s why I’m so messed up. </em> <em> <br/></em> <em> This war of attrition...It’s going to end soon at this rate. And I’m stuck.<br/></em> <em> I’m </em> <b> <em>still</em> </b> <em> stuck. </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “Pneuma, either we try to pursue The Conduit, making their only choice be confronting us, on our terms. Or we wait for them to come back here anyway, after an unknown amount of precious time, with nothing to show for it, on </em> <b> <em>their</em> </b> <em> terms, and then Elysium is done for.” </em></p><p><em> “Elysium would be done for </em> <b> <em>anyway</em> </b> <em> if we left. There’s </em> <b> <em>no</em> </b> <em> Elysium without </em> <b> <em>me, and that Art.</em> </b> <em> ”  </em></p><p>Folding his arms, this time he speaks perspicaciously, and again, like he had it <em> all </em> figured out. He hurries himself though, despite his obvious feign of confidence. “Sister.. <em> sister </em> , <em> you are my treasure. </em> I’d never do something involving us that disregards the things you love. <em> Because I love you. </em> Of course, when deciding this plan of action for myself, I had Elysium on my mind all the while. I wouldn’t let our search for The Conduit be sacrificial to the very thing that is keeping you, and your will to fight, intact.” </p><p>“<em> It took you half a century, Ontos. To find The Conduit. Are you sure we’d even get another fifty years to get off of Earth to try pining for that miracle again?”  </em></p><p> </p><p>Ontos, again, flashes the round, amethyst device. “This thing...I believe with a proper spacecraft, we could use the distorted energy of this item to detect distortions in other areas of the cosmos. If Shulk were alive, he’d certainly be able to build such a contraption on his own. But I’ve got some of my own knowledge tucked away of what I learned from his scientific tinkers.” </p><p>“A-A ship? Seriously? The only way we’d possibly get one is by charter. And we’d have to commission to get it built for us by The Space Association. Nothing they have there at the moment is <em>usable, at all.</em> It would have to be a new one. I don’t even know the head of The Space Building right now, or if <em>there</em> <em>even is one.</em>”</p><p> </p><p>Seriously, Ontos.<br/>Did you really think about this for <em> hours?<br/></em>It sounds like you’re making stuff up…</p><p> </p><p>“I’d like to think there’s no harm in going to see for ourselves, surely?”</p><p>“Fine. But let me remind you, we’re still <em>not going anywhere.</em> Not only do we not have any  lead on where Alicorn has their hands in, or where space distortions are...I still have to repair, <em>and maintain my barrier.” </em>I pout, and moan, and scoff like a little girl. Because I <em>want something to work. But all of this just sounds messy</em>. “<em>So</em> <em>unless you’ve got a way to deal with that, I can never feel safe leaving Elysium to chase Icarus and The Conduit</em> around.” </p><p> </p><p>The <em> only </em> way I could even feel <em> remotely </em> comfortable with leaving Elysium on it’s own is if there was a way to make the barrier complete, and <em> stronger </em> than it is now. Even with my current strength, the barrier was still destroyed by that weapon Icarus had.</p><p>It felt like the walls were coming down on top of me at last. I just didn’t know what to do, I <em> couldn’t know </em>, not like this. </p><p>I didn’t want to accept it, either...not any of it. <em>I didn’t want to just accept inevitable defeat.</em> <em>But there were no ways out. </em></p><p><em> I leave, and Elysium is gone. <br/></em> <em> I </em> <b> <em>stay</em> </b> <em> , and Elysium is gone. <br/></em> <em> What could Ontos </em> <b> <em>possibly</em> </b> <em> believe we have to gain here? </em></p><p> </p><p>“...Well, Pneuma, again, your home was <em> first and foremost </em> in my thought process for this strategy. The barrier is no doubt the lifeline that keeps Elysium hanging on.” <br/><br/>I give another beside-myself single-chuckle. I feel myself choke a little, too. God, was I fucking sick of this. “Heh. Lifeline? More like a thread.” </p><p>“...And that’s why,” Ontos’ tone made my eyes widen for the first time, as he gave, finally, what I think was the crux of his argument “I believe, if...something I’m about to try goes well, I can at least help you with that. <em> Tremendously.” </em></p><p> </p><p>Okay, now you’ve <em> really got my attention.  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “O-Ontos? So you mean to say you </em> <b> <em>have</em> </b> <em> found a way to fix the problem with the barrier?” </em> <em> <br/></em> <em> <br/></em> <em> “I think so. But...I will need some time.” My heart jumped in heat at his next words. I think his did, too. “For the moment, I will need to...speak with my old friend, Shulk. I’m going to ask a favor from him.”  </em></p><p> </p><p>“O-Okay...if you need to focus, I’ll let you. But I’m still just not sure about all of this.”</p><p>“Very well, but at least, allow <em> me </em> to try things <em> your </em> way this time, sister.” </p><p>“Pfft. Shuttup, tough ass. Acting like you’ve never relied on your friends before.”</p><p> </p><p>And so I did.<br/>Moments became minutes.<br/>As I watched him sit in silence.</p><p>Ontos...he almost looked like he was...praying.<br/>And unless The Conduit is right in front of him, I know he can’t directly before phase shifts.<br/>Not outside of his Monado Arts, anyway.</p><p>So, what <em> was </em> he doing? <br/>Was he actually trying to <em> directly </em> reach Shulk? <br/>Would Shulk truly answer him, from the heavens?</p><p>Moments became minutes.<br/>The moments were torture.<br/>The minutes, agony, as during our silence, I combed through it all. <em> Again. </em></p><p> </p><p><em> Father...My beloved Rex...Nia~<br/></em> <em> ~ All of my loved ones. All of my hope. ~<br/></em> <em> The ones who gave me a second chance. </em></p><p><em> The ones that were just as apart of my heart.<br/></em> <em> My sky. My shell. My hope.<br/></em> <em> The ones that were just as apart of </em> <b> <em>me</em> </b> <em> , as I was. </em></p><p><em> I wanted badly to do the same thing as Ontos was.<br/></em> <em> I wanted badly to hear my husband's voice. Just as I had heard Nia’s silkiness and affection course through me last night.<br/></em> <em> I knew my loved ones were there for me. But I didn’t know </em> <b> <em>how</em> </b> <em> in the hell Nia actually was able to answer me, out of all of them. </em></p><p><em> And so I wondered.<br/></em> <em> I wondered just how that worked. </em> <em> <br/></em> <em> And, again, would Shulk hear my brother? Would the one he loved long ago answer him? </em></p><p><em> Moments added up, minutes multiplied.<br/></em> <em> But then, it happened.<br/></em> <em> Ontos...he had opened his eyes. The wind still trailing his lengthy silver. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> He narrowed them at the horizon, like he wanted to slice open the sun for answers. “Hmm...Pneuma, it would seem that there is yet, indeed, a way for us to move forward.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “W-What...You mean it? You have something to deal with the barrier?” </em>
</p><p><em> “Yes.” He gazed upon me now, hair flowing in the wind like a silver flame, eyes filled with reassurance, and relief. A relief coated in warmth, honeyed by, what looked to me like nostalgia. As if someone answered his heaven-pointed cry, just like Nia answered mine. “Come, sister. Give me your hand. I...well, </em> <b> <em>we</em> </b> <em> will show you how you and I can carve this path. How you and I can carve out our future, together.”  </em></p><p> </p><p>“W-We…? Do you mean…?”</p><p>“Come and see for yourself, Pneuma.”</p><p> </p><p>I was still reluctant. I was still...honestly, hopeless. I still felt like I was going crazy. I still felt like my two-thousand years worth of hardship hadn’t been worth a damn. I needed something, anything. But also, I kind of had just resigned myself. Icarus...whatever that machine he had was, it was capable of turning Elysium to dust. And I was stuck. Ontos wanted to carve a future for me, for <em> us. </em> But...what future is there to carve? </p><p> </p><p>All of this...It was more than just a rock and a hard place. I was stuck in a fucking box.<br/>I wasn’t giving myself up to Icarus. I wasn’t just going to give him The Conduit.<br/>But, it’s not like I was taking that attitude to him...It’s not like I was gonna kick his ass.</p><p>He had reach.<br/>I had my desolate, lonely Center.<br/>I had my shell. My sky. My hope...that was waning... <em> fast. </em></p><p>I was still reluctant.<br/>I was honestly, hopeless.<br/>But, I needed something. Anything.</p><p>So that hand Ontos held out to me? <br/>I took it.<br/>I took it, not knowing what the hell I was getting into.</p><p>I was desperate.<br/>I was ready to give up.<br/>But something in me still flickered...I still knew my loved ones were there.</p><p>That’s why I’m even still <em> standing.<br/></em> That’s why I’m believing him...believing Ontos.<br/>So that hand? I took it.</p><p> </p><p>And when I did…<br/>I learned something. Something that wouldn’t just flicker my resolve, but set it completely ablaze. Like a wildfire.<br/>I learned that…</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> ...Ah, finally! You answered! I was beginning to think you wouldn’t believe Alvis in the end. </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <em> “H-Huh?! Who is this?! A-Alvis...who’s that? You mean my brother?” </em>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> O-Oh? Do you call him something else? </em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “His name is Ontos...Isn’t it?” </em>I looked to my brother for reassurance. He said no words. He was just...smiling. I think he knew that whatever he was hoping would work, was working.</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> ...Well, I don’t know about all that. Alvis goes by lots of different names, so it wouldn’t surprise me if ya knew him another way.  </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <em> “Well, h-he did tell me about h-how he lived around lots of different walks of life, so maybe…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> None of that is important now, though. Alvis...he called on me, asking for me to help you. So that’s what I’m here to do. </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <em> “W-Wha...Help? O-Ontos thinks you can help us?” </em>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> It won't be much at all, really, and I don’t really have time to explain, either, but...There is something I can do - well, more accurately, there is something I can </em> <b> <em>give</em> </b> <em> you that might just fix the problem Alvis told me about. </em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “T-The problem…? A-And giving me something? Like what?” </em>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> A long time ago, Alvis gave me a gift. Actually, it’s more accurate to say he put me through a test, and when I had passed - he passed on a reward to me.  </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <em> “Y-Yeah…? He tested you?” </em>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> It wasn’t just a test for me. It was a test for everyone, and everything. The whole universe. Alvis wanted to know if the </em> <b> <em>future</em> </b> <em> itself could be tested. If the </em> <b> <em>future</em> </b> <em> could be changed. And he had asked me, on the day I passed his test, if I really believed that it could. </em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “O-Ontos...This sounds exactly like…” </em>
</p><p>“Heh. Finally caught on, sister?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> Can I...Can I ask you something? </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <em> “Me?” </em>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> Yes. I want to ask you the same question Alvis asked me, on the day that I changed the world. </em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “O-Ontos...Ontos, it’s him! He answered you, didn’t he?! S-Shulk, is that you?!” </em>
</p><p>“Heh. And now I think it is you, Pneuma, who has an answer to give to him.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> So..what is it? </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <em> “What’s...what?” </em>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <b> <em>What is it you wish for?</em> </b> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I-I wish…” The answer came almost too easily for me. I felt my heart. And for as sad as I was...For as desperate as I was...For as stuck as I was...For as hopeless as I was...the answer came almost too easily for me. It was like, even beside myself, I could never stop being who I was. </em>
</p><p><em> “S-Shulk...I wish to fight. With all my heart. With all of my strength. With everything. </em> <b> <em>I wish to fight. To the bitter end. And I need a way forward. I need a way forward, so that I can fight. Right now...I’m stuck. But I don’t just want the future to be decided for me! I want to fight! I want to use everything that I am to fight for the future! My future. Brother’s future. Elysium’s future. The future of other worlds, too. The Future that Father messed up, and the future that someone else is trying to mess up again...I want to fight for it. I mean it, Shulk. If that’s really you...then that’s it. That’s my wish.”</em> </b></p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> ...I-I see.  </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <em> “...S-Shulk..?” </em>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> ...Then, Pneuma, I’ll help you out. You told me your wish, and I believe you. Again, it won’t be much, but I couldn’t say no to Alvis’ sister in her time of need. </em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “U-Uh...What will you do?” </em>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> I’m just gonna let you borrow something. You should be getting it soon. I hope it serves you well. It’s the thing Alvis gave me. </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <em> “O-Okay…Thanks, Shulk. I hope I can make use of your gift. A-And-” </em>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> No need to thank me, really. I’d do anything for an old mate like Alvis. Anyway, time’s up for me. I hope that item serves you well. And remember, the future belongs to </em> <b> <em>you</em> </b> <em> . You decide it for yourself, no matter what. </em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “W-Well...Guess he’s gone, then. Didn’t even get to say goodbye.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>I sighed, but something in me felt...free. I was definitely a bit more cheerful.</p><p>I shuffled over to Ontos, elbowing him in the shoulder. “Alvis’, huh?” </p><p> </p><p>“Hehe. Pneuma, take a look inside your hand...I think my old friend’s little gift to you has just made its way here.” </p><p> </p><p>“U-Uh..<em> .W-What the… </em>”</p><p> </p><p>The palm of my hands radiated a bright light.<br/>A vivacious, high-spirited cyan. One as bright and blue as the sunny water of a beach.<br/>It reminded me of the sky. It reminded me of a blue jay. It reminded me of <em> life itself. </em></p><p>It reminded me of the sky above Alrest.<br/>It reminded me of when people laughed there. Cried there. Fought there.<br/>It reminded me of how, for as difficult as life there was...we all made a way.</p><p>We all fought, with all of our hearts, against the dreadful circumstances of that world.<br/>We took something cruel and unusual, and made it...wonderful.<br/>We took a dying world, and we lived on it. We took life, <em> over </em> death.</p><p>We were trapped, and yet, we felt free.<br/>Because we still lived our lives.<br/>We still wanted better. For each other. So we gave each other all that we could.</p><p>Now we have Elysium.<br/>Now we have something that <em>should</em> be wonderful, made cruel and unusual.<br/>And the Elysians...the people, <em>they still</em> <em>live.</em></p><p> </p><p><em> They still laugh here. They still cry here. They still fight here.<br/></em> <em> This dying world...they still lived on it.<br/></em> <em> They want to take life, </em> <b> <em>over</em> </b> <em> death. </em></p><p> </p><p>That cyan glow...It made me realize that.<br/>It made me realize that I’m not the only one fighting.<br/>I may have the sword. I may have the fancy Arts. But those are just tools.</p><p>You can fight with anything.<br/>Anyone can fight.<br/>As long as their heart burns, and burns with fury.</p><p> </p><p><em> “O-Ontos! W-What the hell just happened?! </em> <b> <em>What the hell is that?!</em> </b> <em> ”  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> The cyan light in my hand blinked.<br/></em> <em> Once.<br/></em> <em> And then three times. </em></p><p><em> When it blinked, that’s when it happened.<br/></em> <em> I received Shulk’s gift. Shulk’s answer to my wish.<br/></em> <em> It was bright, crystalline, and blue. It was huge. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “That, my sister...is how we will carve our path forward. The True Monado.” </em>
</p><p><em> “T-True Monado?! O-Ontos! Shulk said you gave this to him...Does that mean this was </em> <b> <em>yours?!</em> </b> <em> ” </em></p><p> </p><p>I held the blade in my hand. It was mesmerizing. It was unlike any weapon I’d ever seen. The sun’s light gleamed across it, magnifying it’s heavenly aura. I honestly didn’t feel worthy. I didn’t feel like this was my weapon to even be holding. It felt like...It felt like this weapon belonged to a <em> god. </em> What the hell was <em> I </em>doing with it?! </p><p>The circle at the hilt...It looked exactly like the one inside of my brother's replica Monado, too.<br/>All of this was unreal... <em> I didn’t get it at all. </em> <em> <br/></em> <em> Why did Shulk want me to have this? </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “It was. But after Shulk made his wish to change his world, ridding it of gods, the weapon as a physical object disappeared. Shulk, however, is no longer here, in the physical world. That was what I wished to know...If, in the afterlife, Shulk was able to find my sword again.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “That’s amazing...So he found it, and sent it back to us…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Ontos nods, smiling, silver hair trailing in the gentle breeze, glittered in cyan light, drenched in warm sun.</p><p> </p><p>“<em> But, Ontos...how is this going to help me? How will I move forward with this? The sword’s cool and all but...it’s not gonna tell me where Icarus has gotten off to.” </em></p><p><em> “But it can tell you where Icarus </em> <b> <em>can’t </em> </b> <em> get to.” </em></p><p>
  <em> “Huh?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Ontos…?<br/>Are you trying to tell me this sword <em> isn’t </em> to fight with?<br/>Are you saying…</p><p> </p><p><em> “The barrier, Pneuma. You are able to perform phase-shifts with the power of The Conduit, even from afar. Take my sword. Take it and release </em> <b> <em>all</em> </b> <em> of its energy into your barrier. Cast the Art, using my weapon as the catalyst. If you do that, you can complete the barrier, and make it stronger. You’ll also be able to enjoy full access to your abilities again, without the strain your own Art puts onto you.” </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “O-Ontos…” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Trust me, Pneuma. My treasure.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>My eyes water, becoming glossy.<br/>But I shake the tears away. Now’s not the time to break down.<br/>Now’s the time to get back up. Now’s the time to be on my feet again.</p><p>Now’s the time to choose life, instead of death.<br/>Now’s the time to take back Elysium. To take back what was wonderful.<br/>Now’s the time <em>for me</em> <em>to move forward.</em> </p><p>Now’s the time to fight. I <em> had </em> a deck to shuffle now.<br/>To believe in Rex. To believe in Nia. Shulk. And everyone else.<br/>Now’s the time to snatch that stupid Conduit right out from under Icarus’ nose.</p><p>Ontos held me as I stared at it. I stared at the True Monado in my hands.<br/>Not being able to thank Shulk enough for his gift.<br/>Eventually, he let me go. I got some distance away from him before raising the sword above my head. Pointing it straight as a razor toward the heavens. Pointing it at all of my loved ones from beyond. Hoping they saw my new hope. My new sky.  And the new me.</p><p> </p><p>I learned something. Something that wouldn’t just flicker my resolve, but set it completely ablaze.<br/>Like a wildfire.<br/>I learned that…</p><p> </p><p><b> <em>“Defiance Of Atrophy</em> </b> <b> <em>!!!”</em> </b></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ...The loved ones of my brother. My treasure. They watched me too. They also saw my fury. And knew that it couldn’t end here. </em>
</p><p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Wish</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Ontos...That sword...Your sword really became apart of the new barrier.”</p><p>“Not ‘apart of’, it <em> is </em> the new barrier, my sister.”</p><p>“W-With your True Monado gone, to be up there... I guess I can’t use it in combat. But...<em> my gosh, the sky~ </em>…”</p><p> </p><p>It was…clear. Magnificent rays of morning sun spread out across the reborn sky in all of the cardinal directions, as if wrapping the whole world in it’s warmth. It was so clear, in fact, that it worried me a little. It’s been so long since I’ve looked at a blue sky that didn’t fill me with dread, because it could only peer through the upper shell’s crack. A crack in my drive, my heart, my <em> resolve </em> . And though I may have been awestruck, and worried, deep down, and even just right beside me, in the wide, bright smile of my precious brother, I was able to truly know that <em> my wish </em> had been granted.</p><p> </p><p>It’s just... been so long.<br/>It’s been so long since my sky, my hope...was blue, and comfortingly plain.<br/>It’s been so long since my life wasn’t coated in a haze of sullen emerald. </p><p><em> I’ve wanted this, for so long.<br/></em> <em> I’ve wanted back my blue sky. I’ve wanted this wish.<br/></em> <em> I’ve wanted to make life worth living, for all of Elysium. I’ve wanted them to choose life, over death. </em></p><p><em> And though the fight is far from over.<br/></em> <em> I’ve at least got this, now. I’ve won...no, I’ve been </em> <b> <em>given</em> </b> <em> the right to my blue sky back.<br/></em> <em> By an old friend of his, and a new friend of mine. </em></p><p> </p><p>“That, sister, is truly beautiful…”</p><p>This time, I don’t shake the tears away. I let myself have this. “<em> Thank you, Shulk...Thank you for giving me this small gift of life.” </em></p><p> </p><p>With water streaming from my irises, I turn toward my brother. My treasure, giving him back a great, beaming smile. One that I <em> meant </em> this time. Some stray tears bounce away from me in tiny little pearls as I shut my eyes, smiling all the while remembering the overwhelming love that had brought me this. It was a small victory. A small gift of life. I knew that much. I knew that it wouldn’t ever be <em> this </em> easy for me. But, goddammit. <em> Goddammit, I was going to have this. I’ve wanted this for over two-thousand years, and I had it. Because of my brother, and Shulk. Because of Nia, because of </em> <b> <em>everyone.</em> </b></p><p> </p><p><em> I giggle, a giggle that I </em> <b> <em>meant</em> </b> <em> this time. “Hehe~. And of course, thank you, Ontos. For keeping your promise. For letting me hold just a small piece of yourself for this little while. Thank you for letting me make that wish...I can’t quite tell from here, but - I know in my heart that it came true. I just </em> <b> <em>have</em> </b> <em> to believe that what I asked the True Monado to do...worked.” </em></p><p>Ontos nods, brightly, his bangs dangling back over his eyes as the calming of the breeze. “I would give all of me to you if that is what it would take for you to win this, Pneuma.”</p><p>“Heh. I~I know… I know~. But don’t start being such a macho boy about it now. We’ve still got Icarus’ ass to hand him. That’s right, <em> we. </em> Not just me. This is <em> our </em> fight. And you know…”</p><p> </p><p>I stepped, which led into a small pounce, over to his side, placing my cheek on his firm shoulder, and wrapping my arms around him. “If you ever need some of me, I’m here to do the same. I feel like...I’m always the one asking you for stuff. You should let me give back to you, too.”</p><p>He returned my embrace with one arm, because he needed the other one to pat at his belly. I think this is the first time I’ve heard a hearty laugh from Ontos. It was bold, like he wanted to fill the entire Center with positivity. It wasn’t like his usual sarcastic chortles and snickers. This one came right from deep within him, right at the place he put his hand over.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> “Hah! If the red one can continue making me delicious, hot meals along our journey, I’m sure I’ll be getting plenty back in return for a barrier.” </em>
</p><p>I wanted to give back his snarky, yet heartfelt remark, with one of my own...But honestly, I just started to cry again. I forgot what feeling appreciated is like...I know that’s rich, coming from <em> ‘Angel’ </em> . But to Ontos, I was Pneuma. Or Pyra. Or Mythra. I wasn’t some symbol. I was me. He loved <em> me. </em> I couldn’t cherish that enough. I wish I had enough immortalities to last until I <em> could </em> appreciate all that Ontos was to me. “ <em> You can count on it. I’d make you your favorites until you got sick of them if that’s what you want.” </em> </p><p> </p><p>We break from our embrace, and Ontos’ face changes back to something more hard, and serious. He and I both knew it was going to be time, soon. Time for this small victory to turn into a big one.</p><p>And while, I knew we still didn’t have any leads on Alicorn’s wearabouts. <br/>I trusted Ontos.<br/>I trusted his promise, he kept it. I trusted him with Elysium, he and Shulk gave me his blade, letting me wish upon it. I trusted him. That’s all it was.</p><p>I’ve taken leaps of faith before.</p><p> </p><p>“Pneuma...you surely understand what needs to happen now, right?”</p><p><br/>I look down at the dirt, combing through all of the memories again. Painful and otherwise.<br/>I combed through everything I was about to leave behind.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...We’ve gotta get out of here. I know. And it has to be soon...We don’t know how far ahead Icarus and whoever else is to getting their slimy mitts on that Conduit. We have to get it first, and fast. I trust you, so I’ll do it...We can’t just wait for Icarus to find out about what I’ve done to Earth, and abandon me as part of his plan. If he finds The Conduit another way, before we do, it’s over.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “To Mor Ardain then, Pneuma. The Space Building awaits…” Ontos’ narrow eyes widen, with a mournful look as he prepared his closing question, “...However, before we go, is there anyone you feel the need to inform of our departure? Do you have someone you need… to tell ‘goodbye’?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I thought long. Long, and hard, about that… “I-I...Huh…” and through snippet, every picturesque morsel of who I’ve met, and what I’ve seen, the past two-thousand years, I couldn’t come up with much. Loved ones from these awful years were long gone. I was sure of that. And to the rest of Elysium, I was just a symbol. I was just something they looked up to - not really a person. I didn’t mind that so much...I want them to have hope, but also, I just didn’t really ever talk much these days. Azurda was the only person that came to mind - but I knew Azurda, he’d never let me set off of Elysium without a billion warm hugs and kisses. I’d be seeing him whether I wanted to or not. So, for as much as saying this hurt - I gave my answer to Ontos pretty clearly. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “...No.” </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> - The Space Building, Mor Ardain - </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The sliding doors...didn’t slide. <br/>I actually had to pry them open with my hands.<br/>What’s more...And, what’s something I wasn’t <em> sure </em> was worse or not…</p><p> </p><p>“There’s...no reception? Is this lobby completely empty?” </p><p> </p><p>‘Dim’ just wasn’t the word for it.<br/>The Space Building’s light was so faint, just in the lobby, that I’d almost wondered if I stepped into another world. A <em> dead </em> world. Not just a dying one.<br/>The childish looking space props...The pomp and circumstance...The business suits moving in and out, and up and down the escalators, elevators, and stairs...gone.</p><p>All of it was gone. ‘Empty’ just wasn’t the word for it.<br/><em> ‘Dead’ </em> was the word for it. <br/>The only light <em> in </em> the place was the creeping, barely illuminating white sun glares from the slanted glass panes at the edges of the ceilings near the entrance. Suffice to say, it wasn’t much. Not nearly enough to give life back to this place.</p><p>I was looking at a shadow of what this place once was.<br/>And of-fucking-course <em> that </em> got me emotional.<br/>This place...It was where all of this started. </p><p> </p><p>This was where the dream to take Elysium to new heights <em> began </em> .<br/>The dream to get these people who wanted to <em> live </em> off of the planet that wanted to <em> die.<br/></em> This is where <em> all of that </em> began.<br/><br/>As Ontos and I walked through the empty lobby, I started to feel sick.<br/>Anybody that knew me <em> then </em> , knew how much this place meant to me.<br/>Anybody that knew me <em> then </em> , knew how much I felt like <em> I </em> was the reason Elysium couldn’t succeed.</p><p>Coming back here is hard. It always is. That’s why I stopped.<br/>When I come back here, I go back to <em> then. </em>  <br/>I go back to my crew. </p><p> </p><p>“W-Well...I guess we should just try and check to see if this place even still<em> has a Major </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>I go back to Davis.<br/>I go back to <em> all </em> of what happened in Mor Ardain on the day Icarus decided it was time for him to start throwing darts at me.<br/>On the elevator, I was trembling. Only a bit. But it was enough for Ontos to notice.</p><p>Only, this time, I declined his hug.<br/>Sorry, but I wanted to let this course through me.<br/>I had to feel all of this on my own. I had to take all of this dead place in, <em> on my own. </em></p><p>That was so I could be ready.<br/>Ready for the inevitable.<br/>Who the hell needed this place? Of course there wasn’t going to be a Major.</p><p>But…<br/>Well, either way, we were going to have to find a way off of Elysium. That was non-negotiable.<br/>Best place to start was here. Even if I knew there’d be nothing.</p><p> </p><p>Nothing for us at… “Well, here we are, brother...”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> - Room 400, Major’s Office - </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>I knocked on a wall first. “H-Hey...Hello? Anybody?”</p><p> </p><p>The large window behind the Major’s desk was much bigger than the ones in the entrance, it was enough for the sun to cast it’s bright white light along the dead center of everything inside. It washed along the middle of the table itself, and all along the center carpet. Everything to the sides of that ray of brightness was left in shadow. And I didn’t see anybody sitting at that larger-than-life desk.</p><p>But just because you know something is inevitable doesn’t mean you give up.<br/>I found a row of switches along the wall beside the doorway on the side that Ontos was standing near. <br/>When nobody answered my knock on the wall, I took to switching on those.</p><p> </p><p>Three of them didn’t do anything. <br/>Great start.<br/>But the last one?</p><p> </p><p>“There it is.”</p><p> </p><p>A panel light along the same side of the room Ontos stood flickered on. <br/>It flickered some more, before staying put. A small pocket of light, of life, was given back to just that one side of the office.<br/>It illuminated over some file cabinets, some stray papers along the floor, a large potted plant in the corner near a bookshelf that was almost certainly on its last legs, and a poster of...The Space Associations logo, right next to the light switches.</p><p>But that wasn’t it.<br/>No, it certainly wasn’t, the panel light glossed over something else.<br/>Something that I was hoping wouldn’t let me down. <b> <em>Someone</em> </b> <em> I was hoping would be exactly who I and my brother needed. Someone who could prove that just because you knew something was inevitable, didn’t mean you gave up. </em></p><p>But, this person wouldn’t be proving anything to me right away. Not while she was asleep.<br/>There, on the big, red couch, that didn’t look comfortable at all, I saw her, peacefully breathing away in, what I had hoped, was bubbly bliss. Bubbly bliss, away from all of this awfulness, that I knew she’d eventually be waking up to. And soon. <br/><em> Because of me. </em></p><p> </p><p>She must have realized something about her environment changed, because she tossed herself around a bit on the couch, facing away from the middle of the room, while shuffling deeper into the small blanket that was as beautifully glossy and brown as her beautiful, glossy, and brown skin. As she turned to her side, covering herself for comfort that was being tested, a long, glossy, beautiful brown braid trailed along the edge of the cushion, eventually draping over the couch. It looked like a rope, and I honestly wanted to pull on it to see if she’d ring, just like a bell. But this was no time to let the child in me run rampant...I had business here, <em> serious </em> business.</p><p> </p><p>Business that concerned the future of Elysium, and possibly even all of the cosmos.<br/>Business that I’ve been teetering on the edge of insanity trying to handle, for what felt like forever.<br/>Business... <em> that I’d probably need this sleeping beauty for. </em></p><p>I stepped over to the couch, getting close, but still some distance away from waking her.<br/>The reason I stopped? I had noticed something about her...something I just couldn’t place.<br/>Why? Why did this woman feel... <em> familiar? </em> </p><p>I hate this.<br/>Not the girl, no. I just hate when things feel <em> familiar, and then I don’t know why.<br/></em>The Elysians, while I don’t know many of them that well...they love me.</p><p> </p><p>Is it shallow? Well, I don’t know if I could say all that…<br/>But, it was definitely not me as a <em> person </em> , just as a <em> symbol.<br/></em>As ‘Angel.’ </p><p>Still, they loved, at least, <em> something </em> about me.<br/>And if something, to me, feels familiar... <em> It meant I was closer to it.<br/></em> <em> That's </em> why it bothers me when I can’t figure this stuff out. I want to know who my loved ones are. The ones I’ve actually put names to faces on. That meant more to me than anything.</p><p>The closer I got to her, the more I felt it. <br/>I had to have known her...I wanted to figure out why I was feeling like this.<br/><em> Not only did I know her, but I felt like at one point, I’d gotten something from her. </em></p><p> </p><p>The closer I got, the more I felt it.<br/>She smelled...sweet. Like the inside of a bakery.<br/>And what’s more...that sweetness...It was cheering me up. A lot.</p><p>Like it had done it to me before.<br/><em> I definitely knew her.<br/></em> <em> But, goddammit it’s been so long, I couldn’t figure it out. It was driving me mad. </em></p><p> </p><p>So, I did it. I mean, I was going to anyway, but I woke her from her bubbly bliss.<br/>Not only did we need her, <em> I had to know something. </em></p><p> </p><p>“H-Hey...Heya.” I shook her body gently, gracing my hand across her shoulder, trying not to seem forceful. </p><p>It was then, that I learned, this woman was a light sleeper. “<em> U-Uhh! Who’s there?!” </em>she moaned anxiously, jerking herself to life. The silkiness of her voice was dampened by the clear, sheer amount of anxiety present through, and through it. I felt bad. I was used to feeling bad, though. So I dealt with it. I stepped back a hair, softening my gaze as much as I could. I wanted her to see who I was before she felt any alarm.</p><p>“N-Nghh…” She tossed the blanket off of herself, shuffling about again to turn and face the two of us. Ontos stayed by the wall, but she still noticed him. Didn’t focus much on him, though. Because her eyes...they darted right back to me. They locked <em> dead </em> on to me, even. </p><p> </p><p>Her eyes were narrow as she scanned my body, no doubt wondering the same thing I’ve been this whole time. <em> ‘Do I know you…?’ </em> was probably exactly what she was thinking as the bubble of her bliss was burst. As she was brought right back into cruel reality. <em> By me. </em></p><p> </p><p>“H-Hi. I uh...I promise, I-u-uhh- we’re not here to hurt you, I mean it.”</p><p> </p><p>She didn’t reply, she just kept looking at me. Tracing me.<br/>Eventually, her eyes settled on something. Something everyone’s eyes settle on when they look at me. It was my Core Crystal, and it’s distinct, cross-like shape.<br/>When her eyes finally centered on <em> that </em> , however, they weren’t narrow anymore...They widened. A lot. Her expression changed, too. Almost as if <em> she </em> was being cheered up.</p><p>I only <em> thought </em> I knew her.<br/>She only <em> thought </em> she knew me.<br/>But...I had a feeling that we were going to be getting along, quite well.</p><p> </p><p>She brought her eyes back to my face. I was still staring at her softly, trying to let her come to sorts on her own before taking all of me in.</p><p>Eventually, her lips unpursed. The sweet smell from off of her complimented the smoothness in her voice perfectly. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...Color me shocked.” She shifted herself up a notch, leaning her back into the armrest while she groaned herself to wakefulness. “Didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” </em>
</p><p>I asked the obvious question, the one on my mind since I flipped on that light. <em> “...See me? Again? I-I’m sorry, but, do you know me?” </em></p><p>Her answer was both obvious, and not so obvious. But before she gave it, she pushed herself fully off of the couch, with her feet guiding her to her aim: a pair of pink slippers. She walked and talked. <em> “Heh. Well everybody knows ya’, sweetheart. You’ve always been the shining jewel of this half-dead ass continent. Givin’ it life, and whatnot, or at least, fightin’ damn hard for it.” </em></p><p><em> “I-I...Thanks?” </em>Wasn’t sure how to take that one, honestly. But it had to have been a compliment. </p><p> </p><p>After putting her comfy-looking slippers on, she spread her arms out across the large desk, facing towards me, rapidly blinking the excess bit of sleep from her eyes. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I’m sure you get this plenty, but I can’t thank you enough, for everything you do, even though I know it’s killing you. And I want you to know something else...us regular chumps are at least doin our part on the upkeep as well, tryin’ to make sure your fight’s not in vain.” </em>
</p><p><em> “I-I don’t know what to say...I-I’m sorry it has to be this way for you guys, but I’m glad to hear you’re all making the best of it.” </em> Because I damn sure wasn’t.  <em> “Don’t call yourself ‘chumps’, though, alright? We’re all in this together. We have to be.” </em></p><p><em> “Yeah?” </em> she rolled her neck, easing some tension, <em> “Heh, so you really haven’t changed all that much. Still just as apologetic as I remember ya, even though you’re the one pullin’ all the weight.” </em></p><p>I had to ask her again. <em>I had to know.</em> <em>“H-Hey...You’ve seen me before? You know who I am?”</em></p><p> </p><p>And much the same as earlier, she gave me her two-sided answer. <em> “Depends on how you define ‘know’.”  </em> She cracked the joints in her fingers, stretching out her arms before prying herself from her lean on the desk. <em> “If, by ‘see’, you mean visually, then yes, I see you everywhere, Angel.” </em></p><p>She continued, and out of expectation of ‘the big reveal’, I stayed quiet. <em> “But, if by ‘know’, you mean personally?” </em> My eyes widened at the next part, but not without it’s skepticism. <em> “Yes, as well. I knew ya’, at one point. That’s far and along in the distant past now, though. Well, far and along for me. It’s probably just a hop, skip, and beat in yours.” </em> She cleared her throat, and it was then that something clicked in me. This woman was <em> quite </em> talkative, and I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to point that out to myself. <em> “Bah. But I’m talking too much. I’m sure you didn’t come here to hear an old hag give a one-sided reminisce.” </em></p><p>Finally letting me some space, I gave some heartfelt words to her. Something within me...felt like she deserved it. <em> “B-But that doesn’t mean that I can’t remember you. I-I may have lived a long time...but I love people. I love all of you.” </em> I stepped closed to her, placing my hands overtop of my Core Crystal. I’ve always done this sort of thing, to try and appear genuine. <em> “A-And I’m sure, if you really say you knew me, like, personally, maybe we had some sort of token. I don’t get to know too many people nowadays, so the ones that do reach out to me - I try and make sure there’s...something between us. Like a token of our bond, o-or something.” </em> I nodded, smiling at her brightly. <em> “B-But of course, none of that stuff’s required. I believe you, anyway. I’m sure you don’t have any reason to lie.”  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “...Token, you say?” </em> It was then, she reminded me of why being around her made me feel so cheerful. <em> “Tell me somethin, Angel. I’m sure you’ve got plenty to ask me, but why don’tcha go down my rabbit hole first.” </em></p><p><em> “I-I don’t mind...Y-You’re right…” </em> I looked off to the side, a bit embarrassed. <em> “I have come here with something I need...but it’s not technically an emergency, not yet, at least, not right this second. You can ask me whatever you’d like” </em></p><p> </p><p>While I was mouthing off, she had pulled up a small box from a small drawer at the side of the large desk. It was pink, and it wasn’t marked. She slowly slid the lid off of the box, as if whatever was inside was more valuable than anything else she’d owned in her life.</p><p> </p><p>Her silky voice returned, with a tempting offer. One I knew I couldn’t refuse. <em> “...Ya still like sweets?”  </em></p><p> </p><p>I couldn’t refuse.<br/>Not just because <em> I did </em> still like sweets.<br/>But because, before I could even answer, she had tossed a small, clear little baggie at me.<br/><br/></p><p>Catching it in a nick of time, I was awash with that same sweet smell from earlier. The oddly nostalgically sweet smell. The one that made me feel like I really did know this woman.</p><p>There were only five in it. But just one look, and I was in love. Not only that - I could tell exactly what they were. Just by the magical, soothing, child-like shimmer of the coating of sparkly sprinkles. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...Sugar cookies.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “It was forever ago, for me, at least, but that day still plays over in my mind like the back of my hand. Ya looked so sad...But the second I popped those into your hands, you lit up like christmas lights. I’ve never forgotten it, not in all of my fifty-six lonely years of life.” </em>
</p><p><em> “I...I knew it, there’s something about these…”  </em>I eye’d my little baggie like a goldfish, trying to get the last hint she was leaving for me. The last piece of this woman’s puzzle. <em> “T-These cookies, this shape, </em> <b> <em>I know these</em> </b> <em> . I know you. I know I know you…” </em></p><p><em> “Ya know - my parents...they got on my case that day, </em> <b> <em>badly</em> </b> <em> . That day I found that little crack in the shield and decided to peek my little nose into business </em> <b> <em>I</em> </b> <em> had </em> <b> <em>no business</em> </b> <em> bein’ apart of.” </em></p><p> </p><p>Crossing over the barrier...by <em> accident.<br/></em> Cookies…<br/>Talkative...cheerful. </p><p>I had it.<br/>I had her, right there.<br/>It was right on the tip of my tongue.</p><p> </p><p><em> “But ever since that day, I’ve never stopped wanting to try and use my talent to bring other people the same smile I brought you.” </em> She sighed pretty heavily giving her next piece. <em> “At least, that </em> <b> <em>was</em> </b> <em> what I was up to...But Elysium, it’s a bumpy place. Real volatile. I came into my own around my twenties. Moved out here to Mor Ardain to try and bring people smiles with my baking - next thing you know, I get stuck with this job. But I wasn’t a quitter - no - I got good at this shit, too. </em> <b> <em>Damn good.</em> </b> <em> Just to prove something. Don’t even remember to whom I owed the honors to anymore.” </em></p><p>It was then. It was right <em> then </em> that I finally got it. <em> “Myriam…”  </em></p><p> </p><p>I brought my face up from my cookies at last, finally looking her right into the eyes. She looked relieved, and gentle, and cheerful, if a little cynical given her age <em> now. </em> She was smiling, like, after all of this time, I’d finally given her back something for those cookies she gave me her entire life ago.</p><p> </p><p><em> “M-Myriam…” </em> I squealed out again, <em> “Myriam, that’s who you are...Isn’t it? Oh my gosh... </em> <b> <em>Oh my goodness.</em></b><em>" </em>I couldn’t believe I was tearing up for someone I only knew <em> sort’ve </em> well in her early years. But Fonsett was special to me, <em> very </em> special. And she hailed right from there.  <em> “I-I don’t mean to sound like a granny, but...j-jeez...you’re so much bigger now. Fifty six?! Do you really mean to tell me I haven’t come to see you in over fifty goddamn years?!” </em></p><p> </p><p>It was at that point that I skipped over to hug her. <br/>Ontos would have to wait for the meat of the conversation.<br/>I was <em> having </em> this.</p><p> </p><p>She held me tightly, taking me back to the Fonsett City from her day, which was much quieter than it is now. <em> “Didn’t exactly make myself easy to find. Tried to for a while, but as I said - didn’t work out. I always hoped we’d bump into each other again, someday. I never stopped hoping for my hero to finally come and visit me. So, to me, this is just my little wish coming true. Glad it happened before I hit the big ‘Six-O’, a’least.”  </em></p><p>
  <em> “U-Ugh...Myriam, I’m so sorry…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>After a while more of chatter, about her life, and dreams, and the ways in which she grew and changed in this bumpy, volatile Elysium, it was time yet to finally bring the conversation back down...Back to why we’re here. Back down to cruel reality.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Gosh, I love ya, really...I wish I could sit and talk for days with you, Myriam...But, and that’s my brother over there by the way.” </em> Ontos waved at my old friend from across the room, and she quickly waved back, mimicking him with a smirk. <em> “...We’ve come here on some pretty serious business. Business that we need to speak with the Major of The Space Building for, as we’ve just hit a big leap...a huge leap in our fight to save this place. To save Elysium.” </em></p><p> </p><p>The answer Myriam gave me this time, was bold, and just as serious. But, also much the same as all of her other kinds of answers. Obvious, yet not so obvious. Though, this time it was definitely my fault. I’d got so wrapped up in reuniting with this sweetie from forever-ago, that I forgot the office we’d stepped into.</p><p> </p><p>So, she reminded me. <em> “Major, huh? You even read the sign before ya walked in? You’re looking at her.”  </em></p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter name sound familiar? I hope so.<br/>If you remember Myriam, from Act 1, you truly are a treasured fan. I love you.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Miers, The Salvager</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> - The Hangar - </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Myriam led my brother and I into the vessel hangar. The elevator ride went on for more than several minutes, but it didn’t feel so long, at all. Though I do think Ontos was almost fit to doze off. And no, not <em> just </em> because he hadn’t gotten proper sleep in a while aside from being knocked unconscious, but because Myriam and I, we just couldn’t stop talking. </p><p>As we descended the elevator shaft, she told me <em> everything. </em> Way more than what she was able to tell me up in her office. I, of course, had to tell her about what’s been happening with me over the course of her years. Suffice to say...it wasn’t so joyful, but she needed to know. I hated reminding her over and over that things just haven’t gotten all that much better...But, honestly she wasn’t taking it too hard, which put my mind at ease. </p><p>Still, what she told me of her life...it had me both cheerful, and wistful. <em> She’d been through so much, and even became a Major. Despite the fact that </em> <b> <em>that</em> </b> <em> wasn’t her dream. </em> </p><p> </p><p>I’ve been up to the exact same thing the past fifty years, driving myself crazy fighting machines. But, all that’s just so I could hear stories like hers...Stories of people living their <em> full </em> lives, as happy as...well, as what was at least <em> possible </em> here.</p><p> I wish I could have been apart of Myriam’s journey. I wish I could have watched her, and supported her through her pursuit of trying to become a baker. I wish I could be more than just a ‘hero.’ I wanted to truly be her friend, to truly be the loved one I wasn’t sure I’d been for her.</p><p>We’d finally reached the hanger floor, and the elevator slowly came open. It was at the tail end of our conversation about what became of The Space Association since the last I’d been there when we arrived at the final stop. </p><p> </p><p>Myriam punched a few commands into her wristwatch, and the hanger’s lights all bloomed into existence.</p><p> </p><p>It was a beautiful aqua haze. It illuminated along the silver walls, desks littered with files, and of course the actual aircraft. I could tell at a glance that almost everything in here was incomplete, or unusable. Such a sight flavored the deep blue light coating the massive underground facility as...quiet, and somber. </p><p>
  <em> Dead, even. </em>
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</p><p><em> “...And that’s the long n’ short of it. This place - well, sure, I’m the Major and whatnot, but ‘s far as I’m concerned? I’m the ‘Major’ of a friggin’ tincan. The Space Association has been decommissioned for generations. Real ‘hush-hush’ as far as the paperwork’s concerned, but basically everyone knows the places’ </em> <b> <em>real</em> </b> <em> purpose by now.” </em></p><p>I hung my head, probing an answer from her softly. “... ‘Real purpose?”</p><p>“No doubt you’ve heard of The Elys Council, given your, ya know, immortality. That little group got shot out ages ago. Before I, or even my goddamn <em> great-great grandfather </em> was born.”</p><p> </p><p>Myriam places a hand gently at her hip, looking along the ceiling of the silver basement, like she was trying to see into the past. “The Space Association, ever since...what was it, two-millennia ago? They - well, <em> we’ve </em> , and I mean <em> me </em> by that, have served as Elysium’s acting body ever since. There <em> were </em> talks of startup governments...but those got washed out. None of em ever got above water. I basically hold whatever you’d consider ‘power’ is in Elysium, or something of that sort, but that’s never suited me and I don’t do much.” </p><p>She shakes her head, her lengthy braid swaying with her. She returned her eyes to the pair of us. <em> “Government’ is just another thing we say this place is so people can go about their lives not freaking out.” </em></p><p> </p><p>I give a rather bleak nod with my finger bent at my chin. And while I was caught up in thinking about how much Elysium had been changing and adapting, both <em> because </em> of me, and <em> without </em> me, Ontos, thinking probably the same thing I was, asked the question I was preparing to give The Major. </p><p> </p><p>“So, you mean to say that you establish law and order around here?”</p><p>Myriam scoffs, letting the chortle that followed ensure Ontos it was playful. “<em> I say I do. </em> But lemme tell ya, as somebody nearing the corner to her twilight years - and as someone who’s spent most of her life doing <em> exactly this, </em> I haven’t needed to stick my nose anywhere deep. You learn things about people doin this kind of stuff, and one of the lessons I took to heart is: <em> for the most part, folks can take care of themselves. </em>They don’t need hand-over-skull laws and social regulations breathin’ down their necks. Got enough to deal with on our side of the fence.” </p><p>Fence, in this scenario, referring to the barrier. Myriam, I suppose, didn’t feel the need to point that out.  “I keep public security tight, and sometimes I need to lay down curfews, that’s about the only thing I’m adamant on. Of course, none of my officers are a Blade, like you…” she hung her head off to the side, ever so slightly. </p><p> </p><p>She’s brushing it off like it’s nothing, but I know anxiety when I see it. She isn’t really hiding anything, but I make no mention of it. She knows I know how hard it is trying to make a myriad of people feel safe in a world like this. </p><p> </p><p><em> “...But, they make the people feel secure. It’s shaky security, but </em> <b> <em>real</em> </b> <em> security has always been the part you were here for.” </em></p><p>
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</p><p>We were both fighting like our lives depended on it.<br/>Driving ourselves crazy.<br/>Our weapons were just different, as were our arenas. </p><p>I had a sword, and the desolate Center. <br/>She had a pen, and an office.<br/>Two different battles, both just as maddening.</p><p> </p><p>We walked and talked some more, about much of the same, my eyes darting across the hanger the entire time. The midnight blue of the light appeared almost like it was drowning all of the technology. Like it was submitting the huge, incomplete aircrafts, launch equipment, research, and really - everything The Space Association once prided itself on - to the abyss known as the past. The ocean of eternity.</p><p>A place like this, where dreams once existed, dreams for new heights, now just a shadow of what it once was. A shadow of a dream. And that shadow was the result of my failure that day. My failure to see all of this hell coming straight toward me.</p><p> </p><p>But, I was back.<br/>Just because you know something is inevitable, doesn’t mean you give up.<br/>And not in all of my struggle have I given up. Not on this fight. <em> Or on that dream. </em></p><p>I couldn’t give up, not even if I wanted to. And believe me, I wanted to.<br/>I couldn’t give up. Not my fury. Not my love.<br/>And especially not my hate.</p><p>Especially not once we reached the end of the large, midnight-blue hall.<br/>Once we got there, I began to see <em> vivid </em> images of that fateful day. More vivid than nightmares.<br/>Though, it made more sense to say that the vivid images were staring me in the face.</p><p>All of my failure.<br/>All of my fury.<br/>All of my hate.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Siren…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>I stared into it.<br/>It stared back.<br/>I had all the emotion in the world looking at it again. It had no feelings for me at all.</p><p> </p><p>Myriam stepped over to my side, almost shoving past Ontos. She broke me from my spiral of thoughts before they could start proper. And then she gestured toward the four silent entities along the wall. </p><p> </p><p>“Ah, yeah...These guys. They’re yours, aren’t they?”</p><p> </p><p>Ugh...I hate when it’s called <em> mine. </em> Siren and I, we don’t belong to each other. I use them, and it doesn’t know any better than to be used. Or abused. Or whatever I’d like. But they aren’t <em> mine. </em> </p><p>Siren...it can’t be an extension of me. Not anymore.</p><p> </p><p>“...Sorta. They’re my weapons, I guess. That’s the shortest explanation I got for ya.” Anymore, and I’d just sound hung up. I don’t like talking about, or <em> to </em> Siren more than I have to.</p><p>“These babies look tough. And I mean <em> tough. </em> So what gives?  What’s with you not comin’ down to get one of em flying out there?”</p><p> </p><p><em> Because, Myriam...The </em> <b> <em>last time…</em> </b></p><p> </p><p>“N-Ngh...Because, the last time…”</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“...The last time, it backfired. <em> Badly. </em> Mor Ardain was…” I winched, staring away from Siren’s blank visor, trying not to see <em> that </em> again. </p><p> </p><p>She stopped me before my lips moved again, though. I think she noticed what was going on.</p><p> </p><p>“I get the picture, dolly. Guess that’s just the rub. Every weapon has its weakness. Can’t expect it to work in all situations.”  She shrugged, shaking her head. I couldn’t be mad at her. She wanted me to feel better, and we also had more pressing matters down here than my bitching.</p><p>I couldn’t resist at least probing her though. “Still, Myriam...you knew about Siren?”</p><p>“O’course. I wouldn’t have brought you down here if I didn’t know about Siren, and all this shit. I mean...you <em> do </em> remember what we talked about, right?”<br/><br/></p><p>Thankfully, despite The Space Association being a shadow of what it used to be, Myriam still managed to learn about all of its heart and soul, during her rise through the ranks. This is why I didn’t give up when I thought her office was empty. </p><p>Believing in people...it pays off.</p><p> </p><p>I give a nod. “Uh-huh. But I didn’t think you’d even bring <em> up </em> Siren when I’d asked if you could just help my brother and I build a ship. Those Siren...I left them here in case of emergencies, but there used to be more than just these four.” </p><p>And then I wave a hand in front of my face playfully. “I-It’s just funny you bring it up, is all. I guess I must have distracted you.”</p><p>Myriam turns herself toward the Siren, with a hand on her hip. “Nah, I took us all the way down the hall for a reason. These ‘Siren’ dudes, well...I know from what I learned on my climb up the ranks, that these, at one point, were dismantled and harvested for ship parts.”</p><p> </p><p>“I-If you mean the Siren Voyagers...the ‘<em> SR-enVoy’ </em> series...then yeah. But, well, really it wasn’t much of a series at all.” </p><p>I sighed, trying to allow the numbness to kick in. “Only one of them ever got finished, and eventually flew.”</p><p>“You can spare me the details, sweetheart. I know what I need to know about what happened two-thousand years ago, at least, everything that’s on record. You don’t have to tell me all of that, I’m sure none of it was a day at the beach.”</p><p>Inhaling, and then exhaling, I went ahead and gave my speculations. “...Yeah it wasn’t. But, Myriam, if you need to <em> use </em> any of the Siren to make the ship, feel free to.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what I was getting at, basically. You need to fly? I’m your gal. But ain’t a damn thing flying out of here if all I use is the junk that’s rotted with time.” </p><p> </p><p>She shook her head, sighing again. “The Space Association is just a glorified office building, these days...Nobody’s goin to space, or even thinking about it, with all the crazy machines that you fight pouring in all the time. So, suffice to say, sweetie, I ain’t got much to work with. But, <em> damn </em> , these Siren...even after so many years, they still look fresh. I don’t quite get it myself - but they’re <em> exactly </em> what I need.”</p><p>I nodded, placing my hands over my chest with a fiery look in my eyes. “T-Then let’s do it, Myriam. We can use them all if we need to.” I began to feel...excitement. I wasn’t sure about it, at all...But, it just felt right. </p><p> </p><p>I started to feel like I did <em> then. </em> If only a little. I felt that little flicker of a dream come back to life in me. Even though I knew that we were building this thing to go out and fight. </p><p>And of course, I had to fight.<br/>I didn’t know how much time I had left to chase Icarus down.<br/>We had to move, so proper sleep was no doubt coming <em> even </em> later.</p><p> </p><p>“L-Let’s get to work. I can start right now. I know a good bit about spaceships, myself.” I giggled. “And I even think Ontos can pull his weight, too.” I gestured Myriam over to the weapon holstered at Ontos’ belt. “See that freaky lookin’ thing? He made it. So he’s got a way with tools.”</p><p> </p><p>Ontos nodded, affirming me, however remaining silent.</p><p> </p><p>Myriam smiled brightly, she was ready to get to work, too, it seemed.<br/>It seemed like all of this would come to fruition.<br/>My wish...My fury...And my fight. All of it was <em> finally </em> going to come around.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, until I remembered…</p><p> </p><p>“Impressive...He’ll be a great help indeed, Angel. But we’re not getting any work done yet. <em> Unfortunately </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Nothing can ever be <em> that </em> easy for me, huh?</p><p> </p><p>“O-Oh...Damn. Something wrong? Are you busy with your job?”</p><p>“No, not necessarily. I have plenty of time to sit and tinker with ship parts - don’t you worry. What’s holdin me up is…I don’t have my equipment. Not all of it. Basically, not any of the equipment that we’ll need for the bulk o’ the work.”</p><p>I crossed my arms, tilting my head. “What happened to it? Was it also lost to time? As The Space Association started to not be needed anymore?”</p><p>Myriam shook her head, responding pretty quickly. “Nope. That stuff is valuable. Too valuable to be thrown out. It was actually passed on to me, but that was more of a ceremonial thing… They knew I’d <em> probably </em> never get to actually use any of the stuff. But as you can see, I need to now, and I don’t have those tools.”</p><p> </p><p>“...So they were stolen.”</p><p>“Hah!” Myriam’s laugh as she crossed her arms...confused me. “What if I <em> lost </em> them, Angel? You don’t know how clumsy I can be sometimes, I tell ya.”</p><p> </p><p>But eventually, I was giggling right along with her. I felt warm. I could tell, even with the circumstances, she was doing her best to let me back into her life. </p><p> </p><p>“Hehe.~ Sure. Did you <em> clumsily </em> slip your way up to holding all of the political power in the continent, too? Get real.”</p><p>She returned my giggle, but just as quickly got back on topic with me. “Heh. Yeah, I’m pullin your leg. Don’t sweat it. That equipment, it <em> was </em> stolen.” She placed a finger at her chin, eventually remembering what she needed to. “...Think it was a Salvager. They came a little while ago. Definitely days before you showed up.”</p><p> </p><p>“S-Salvager?!” and if it was a <em> Salvager </em> ...that meant they were from <em> Elysium </em> … “So, then they really <em> are </em> still around…”</p><p>“It’s just a name they use, really. The ‘Salvagers’ down at Argentum, they know how to Salvage, sure, but they’re mainly just bandits. The greedy type. When they can’t pull valuable shit up from in the water to sell for profit, they just steal it from someone else, and pawn that off instead.”</p><p> </p><p>I balled my fist. A bit shocked, honestly.<br/>It was at two things.<br/>One, the fact that I really <em> haven’t </em> gotten close to much of Elysium these days.</p><p>And two, the fact that some Elysians…<br/>They were taking it upon themselves to <em> hurt </em> one another.<br/>To <em> take </em> from one another.</p><p> </p><p>“I-I don’t know what to say...That’s awful, Myriam. I wish I could have been there to protect you. I have <em> no </em> clue why in <em> this </em> climate, an Elysian would <em> ever </em> think to hurt another. Elysium has been in danger… <em> hanging by a thread. </em> That’s just not fair.”</p><p>She spoke boldly. “You’ve got the biggest heart, you know that? Thankfully, I wasn’t hurt, and they didn’t get far before I had security swarming the place. But they did make off with my equipment, and all I’ve got to show for that night was what I caught on the cameras.” </p><p>“This ‘Salvager’...” I definitely hated using <em> that </em> word to describe a petty thief. How dare you, whoever you are... <em> How dare you tarnish that title </em>. “They went back to the Argentum Dual Ports, right? Show me everything you caught with the security cameras. Me and my brother will head down there and take care of this punk ourselves.”</p><p> </p><p>Myriam was the one to tilt her head this time. “Huh...Sure the both of yous gotta go?”</p><p>My eyes widened with concern. “W-What’s the problem? Worried more of em’ will come?”</p><p>“Not at all. Seems like whoever they were...all they <em> wanted </em> was my equipment. It’s crazy valuable, yeah...But they had time to grab more. It almost bothers me that they didn’t go for anything <em> except that. </em>” </p><p> </p><p>I closed my eyes, thinking a bit, while Myriam continued. </p><p> </p><p>“Anyhow, I only asked ya both that question’ earlier because, well, I still gotta start taking apart these pesky Siren things. They look pretty complicated, and I’ll need at least two, probably more, for that ship. It will take me into the next morning to get that mountain of dismantling done by myself,” she began eyeing the both of us down, “but with some extra hands and elbow grease, we might be finished by midnight. Think either of you could stay? I’m sure one little Salvager’s not gonna be giving either of you the squeeze.”</p><p> </p><p>Ontos spoke up, surprisingly. “That won’t be necessary.”</p><p>“Hmm? Gonna need to clarify that for me, boy.”  </p><p> </p><p>I stepped up, a cheeky smirk on my lips. Myriam was about to be given all the clarification she needed in <em> just </em> a moment.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...’Extra hands,’ huh? I think I got you covered.” I giggled, pressing my fingers gently atop my Core Crystal. Myriam saw my body begin to flash, and she was awestruck.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I giggled once more. I had too much fun doing this the first time in front of somebody. “Don’t blink, you might miss it.” </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> - Argentum Dual Ports, Boardwalk - </em>
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  <em> “You know, Ontos, I’m pretty tough too!~ I would have been just fine coming out here on my own. You could have stayed and helped, or at least made sure Mythra doesn’t break anything...Plus, I know you’re really tired. You could have gotten sleep.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The sloppy, silver bangs of Pyra’s brother swayed subtly in the cool afternoon breeze along the Dual Ports, allowing the crimson Blade to get at least <em> somewhat </em> of a look into his eyes. They were inquisitive, and snarky, though not his usual sort. This time his gaze harbored more serious concerns beneath his attempt at retaining his usual demeanor. However, as Pyra no doubt suspected, he <em> was </em> tired, also.</p><p> </p><p>“I am well aware. I didn’t come along wishing to coddle my little sister through an easy battle, mind. Though your safety is of utmost concern, I have another reason for venturing with you.”</p><p> </p><p>Pyra’s face was flush with a delicate pink, of affection and embarrassment at the fact that she’d just remembered, and <em> he has apparently also remembered </em>when Mythra told him he could think of her as a little sister, half a century ago.</p><p> </p><p>But, setting that little heart flutter aside, Pyra decided to pick her brother’s brain for what was probably the more important information. “O-Oh. I think I know what it is...You’re worried, aren’t you? That it might be more going on here?”</p><p>Looking straight ahead while walking, Ontos gives a tired exhale. “...I am. Pyra, just before making your wish this early morning, Alicorn was heavily active here in Elysium. Even before Icarus arrived to greet us.” </p><p>Pyra, already sensing the line of conversation, stammered through her reply a bit. “B-But, the only thing that damaged the barrier was whatever that machine was that Icarus told to shoot us. The one we couldn't see... All of our other encounters were in The Center.”</p><p>“<em> Our </em> encounters, Pyra.” Before continuing, he looked up at the clear sky, swiping away his messy bangs. He wanted to affirm himself, even though he knew it in his heart, that Pyra’s wish <em> did </em> indeed come true. “Time and again, though, Alicorn has seemed to make themselves a step further. It would not come as a surprise if they went scampering about through Elysium, rigging this twisted game some more for us.” </p><p>“How would they? I’m sure I would have known if they’d gotten into Elysium...None of their machines up until last night could even scratch the main barrier.”</p><p> </p><p>Looking back at his ‘little’ sister, Ontos was sure, in all the mess, that she’d forgotten something important. He narrowed his eyes a tad, admittedly weary at having to bring that event back up. </p><p> </p><p>“Icarus did not scratch it, either. Not until he was already inside.” </p><p>Stopping dead in her tracks, Pyra balled her fist up, almost too fast for herself. Her eyes widened as her pupils shrinked. “...Dammit, <em> no. </em> Y-You’re right...Icarus got inside with a phase shift. He could have gotten inside of Elysium <em> before </em>he met us…” bemoaningly stomping the ground, Pyra soon came to realize how severe the situation might be, “And he could have been meddling here the whole time. Right under our noses. Putting anything he wanted into motion…”</p><p>“There is also the matter of what our current culprit has stolen from Myriam. If this were merely any run-in with a bandit, especially at The Space Building, they would have ransacked the place.”</p><p> </p><p>Pyra nods, starting to walk again, this time it’s much more hurried. “There’s enough valuables just in the <em> lobby </em> , yet this ‘Salvager’...” hating that a thief hurting other Elysians would use that label, Pyra took a moment to scoff, “He went after <em> one </em> thing: <em> Myriams equipment. </em> Even made his exit as soon as he’d gotten it. Didn’t even look <em> tempted </em> to try and go for something more.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re nearly there.” Ontos, admittedly unable to resist coughing up some sass, moves along to bring his sister across the finish line. “If valuables were his aim, there were plenty in easy reach. While I cannot prove Alicorn’s involvement…”<br/><br/>“All of this is just <em> way </em> too fishy. We definitely can’t rule out the possibility that Alicorn could be pulling strings.” Almost as fast as the pace of her walk, Pyra crosses the finish line herself. </p><p>“...Still, I think this ‘Miers’ guy, whether he is or <em> isn’t </em> involved with Alicorn, is up to no good with that equipment. If he’s willing to go as low as thievery, even now, when things are hard enough for <em> everyone </em>, he could hurt people.”</p><p>“Indeed, Pyra.” Ontos glaces at the sky once more, keeping up with Pyra’s brisk pace along the Dual Port boardwalk. “We need to strike while the iron is hot. Your wish from this morning, if all went as planned, <em> should </em> ensure us an end to Alicorn’s ability to attack Elysium.”</p><p> </p><p>“...But, we’re <em> far </em> from done with them. I know I wouldn’t be able to handle in-fights across Elysium <em> along </em> with attacks from Icarus’ machine hordes. So now that we don’t have to worry, at least, about him <em> here </em>, we should clean house after dealing with this ‘Salvager’.”</p><p>“‘Clean house?’ Do you mean to say we should delay our return to Myriam?”</p><p>A quick, affirming nod is given by the red Blade. “Yea. Just to make sure everything else is okay in the other regions. I couldn’t just leave Elysium in pursuit of Icarus without at least making sure he wasn’t snooping around before he confronted us…”</p><p>“Very well. I am sure she’ll understand.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> - Warehouse #3-B - </em>
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  <em> The crimson voice hisses sneakily, and with an attitude. “Third one from the end, right by the docks. Warehouse 3B. Myriam’s got some neat tricks up her sleeve, doesn’t she?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “For as tacky and unkept as her office aesthetics might be, she’s got quite a lot of gadgets in there, especially handy for tracing back security footage. It made me wonder if not cleaning the place up was something she did for an advantage in these types of situations.” Ontos, then, just thought about Shulk and his lab, and immediately retracted his input in his own head. </em>
</p><p><em> “Oh please, tough guy. Not </em> <b> <em>everybody</em> </b> <em> thinks about fighting all the time. Untidy people just...Well,” Pyra grabs the doorknob to the warehouse containing their Salvager culprit, “they usually think of untidiness as...orderly in their own way. Yea. Something like that.” </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I think...I can certainly understand that.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Shaking the doorknob, Pyra hisses again. “Hey! ‘Miers’. or whoever you are, we know you’re in there!” her frustration built a little as the knob refused to turn, and the door refused to open, “Why don’t you just give up? I-If...If you resist - you’re not gonna like it!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Ontos gently shakes his head, adoring and scorning his sister’s honest attempt. “...And so, the villainous entity shall now magically forfeit themselves. Just give him a moment to freshen up.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Yeah! That was easy - wait-” laced with embarrassment, her head reels back in a small whiplash. “I-I uh…urgh. Ontos, I’m trying to focus! I have to get into it, don’t be mean!”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ontos chuckles, though only seconds later, the humorous flavor of his mood is changed to unanticipated surprise at what his little sister is capable of doing when she doesn’t get what she wants right away. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Pyra...had simply ripped the doorknob straight off! In one quick, sharp motion, small bolts spewed out in all directions - the silver knob to the warehouse being sieged from it’s home, with its brother on the other side of the knobhole simply dropping to the floor pathetically. </em>
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  <em> A set of hastened shifts could be heard on the other side of the door, as if someone were scrambling to be out of the way. The siblings assured themselves after hearing that, that this was indeed their guy. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Won’t answer, huh? See what happens, then…” though, much like her usual self, and despite the assertive display from just a moment ago, Pyra simply pushes the door open cordially, walking inside like she would her own house.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Ontos brushed across his chin while following the crimson Blade. “Rips the knob off, yet does not kick the door. The ever elusive Pyra strikes again.” </em>
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  <em> “S-Shut up! If you wanted all that, you should have asked for Mythra.” </em>
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  <em> The low light of the warehouse was well apparent to the pair after just a few steps into the accommodating storage area. The orange rays of the sun creeped in through the small rows of ceiling windows, at least confirming that the area was spacious, rather than lined with shelves, but there wasn’t much else helping with the visibility. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It was annoying to see, but not impossible. Dim enough to hide a sneaky presence, but not once you got close enough. The siblings just had to keep moving. They’d find something eventually. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> One switch, then another, and then the next. All along the wall near the entrance, all busts. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Pyra sighs, though she does it quietly, even despite the fact that she’d busted in, everybody knew that she busted in, and she didn’t need to be quiet. “That's annoying. What’s a guy doin’ hanging out in some smelly warehouse near the sea with no lights to turn on?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The sound of quick, yet heavy footsteps pierce through the open space, alerting the siblings. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “There, Pyra. Did you hear that?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I did. It came from across, I think...Ontos, stay a few feet away from me. I have a feeling he may try and escape.” </em>
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  <em> “I will, but remember-” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I know. I still don’t want him getting out of here.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> The footsteps grew closer, and out of the corner of his eye, Ontos noticed a big brown boot peek into one of the puddles of lights. Deciding to cover bases, he stops following his sister, ready to intercept an attempt at slipping through the fingers of them both. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Turning quickly to her brother to give a thumbs up, Pyra nods and continues venturing in, scanning what she could of the dimly lit place. She also notices a boot creep into the light, barely able to assemble a form before it was lost again. This caused her flinch slightly, in caution, while darting her eyes around. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Cat’n Mouse, huh?” Pyra continues moving, barely phased. She wasn’t going to lose, but she didn’t want to be caught off guard.  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em> And with each step, the crimson Blade was matched. This didn’t shake Pyra, as she knew her brother was watching the door. She was less worried about the culprit than she was about what they came here to take back, but her awareness of the threat remained alert. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Finally deciding she was sick of this thinly layered attempt at espionage, remembering that she’d caused a commotion anyway, she raised her voice. It was time for things to happen now. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “Well, just know you </em> <b> <em>aren’t</em> </b> <em> getting out of here, ‘Miers!’ We got the drop on you, but nobody </em> <b> <em>has </em> </b> <em> to get hurt. So quit the act. Just show us who you are, and nothing has to go the hard way.” </em></p><p> </p><p><em> The hastened footsteps grew closer, and clearer.<br/></em> <em> Pyra noticed the set of boots and wide form enter and exit the light.<br/></em> <em> Ontos noticed it as it happened again. </em></p><p><em> The movement was semi-sporadic, but clearly aimed at the entrance, it would seem.<br/></em> <em> It appeared, to the siblings, like the opponent was trying to use the atmosphere in tandem with his chaotic route, to throw them off.<br/></em> <em> But, this attempt was obviously convincing nobody. This is less than they’d ever have to deal with, even just in the past two days, and probably also ever, from now on. </em></p><p> </p><p><em> Pyra, slowing her strut to pay attention to the mystery movement, hears from around her the sound of sparking. Sputters of electricity, that calm into a whirr. And, that certainly wasn’t how </em> <b> <em>her</em> </b> <em> weapon worked. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Wary, she squeals a cautionary warning, fearing an oncoming, reckless action, jolting her body toward the door.  “H-Huh?! O-Ontos, no! You don’t need to-” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> But the Replica Monado was...dormant. Still fastened to Ontos’ pants, even.<br/></em> <em> He had his hand around the hilt, but that was about it.<br/></em> <em> The sword was as quiet as a calm river. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Do not worry, Pyra, that was not-” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Ontos’ eyes immediately dart to the moving figure that showed itself again, interrupting whatever he was about to say. “Huh. Pyra, pay attention. Something’s weird.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Pyra begins slowly lining territory with her feet, stepping around the area winged by Ontos at the door, prepared to pounce if needed. “I know...And if that wasn’t your weapon…” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “There!” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Pyra, at the sound of her brother’s alarmed cry, notices a metallic, round item drop near her feet. Ready for the surprise, she kicks it away with a gasp, fast as a cheetah. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The metal orb bulged as it flew across the storage area, exploding into a burst of light big enough to fill the room. Both siblings shielded their eyes with their elbows. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Damn!” Pyra growled as the thing went off.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Not keen on the party tricks, she removed her elbow from over her eyes, quickly returning to darting her sights around, trying to use the stray light left from the flashbang to get bearings of her opponent’s position.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> She saw movement, and shifted at the same beat,  just as fast to meet it. That was when the source of the sparks and whirring from earlier made itself known, also on the very same beat. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Just as quickly as she had her sight, was it lost again, as she felt a huge mechanical device capture her, claming down around her head.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Before anything could be processed by either sibling, Pyra was slammed into the wall near the entrance, by the device, and the thing carrying it. A small crater in the wall was formed by the impact. And the sound of whirring got louder as the device increased its output, shoving her further in. The small crater became a bit bigger, as the bright yellow light spinning around the device changed to bright red. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Pyra at the point of impact quivered. Ontos, finally noticing what had happened in the flash, rushed toward the two parties. Once separate, now met. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What Ontos saw was a widely built man, but the dim light of the place made little of his other features known. What Ontos saw around his sister’s head was a black, mechanical gauntlet, veined in the spinning red lights.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> In no time at all, he was within close proximity, barking for his sister’s freeing. “Unhand her!” gripping his Replica Monado, he unholsters the weapon, setting it ablaze, just to make sure his opponent knew his demand was non-negotiable. “If you wish to see another rising sun, do not test me.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> No response, aside from trying to clam harder on Pyra’s skull.<br/></em> <em> The answer was clear as day.<br/></em> <em> Guess the arm was comin’ off. </em></p><p>
  <em> Ontos takes up the silver Replica Monado into both of his hands, preparing to cleave the enemy in two without a second thought, when… </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> Pyra’s hand flew up toward </em> <b> <em>him</em> </b> <em> in protest, making an equally clear as day stop-signal. She couldn’t speak, or see for that matter, but she had still demanded Ontos not go through with his intentions. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ontos held the blade at his side, blue ether sabre alight, and sparking. He was confused. “Why?! What is the meaning of-” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> His confusion was answered in seconds. The mystery figure snorted, attempting to power the device further and cause harm to the crimson Blade. Pyra, in the clutches of the black gauntlet, reached her arms forward to feel around her captor. The captor himself began to scan quickly around what he’d caught. He’d noticed something amiss about her, but couldn’t place it immediately. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Not until he’d realized what a mistake he’d just made, as his eyes fell on the emerald, cross-shaped gem. “...A Blade?!” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> As her captor enjoyed the revelation of his recklessness, Pyra had pressed her grips tightly onto two fingers of the huge gauntlet. The doorknob from a few minutes ago was about to feel a little less ashamed of itself. </em>
</p><p><em> The captor’s eyes widened, and his pupils shrinked.<br/></em> <em> He’d finally turned privy to the mess he’d made.<br/></em> <em> Pyra’s flame treated you much like how you treated her. She could be a candle, or a forest-fire. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> The culprit Salvager was about to get a just-due taste of the latter.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> Pyra pulled on the mechanical fingers, and then pulled some more. <br/></em> <em> Hard, and then much harder.<br/></em> <em> Eventually, the doorknob’s name was cleared. </em></p><p>
  <em> A finger covering one of Pyra’s fire-red eyes popped clean off, a set of stray sparks escaping the tail end before shutting up. She tossed the scrap to the floor, still looking into the Salvager’s eyes. The fire of her glare pierced the man’s soul, as his conniving expression from when he started this brawl became painted over with cruel, cruel reality. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> The next finger popped straight out, Pyra let that one drop, as she knew Ontos was standing on that side of her.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Ontos looked in mild-horror at the sight. Not for his sister, no. He was honestly afraid… </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Afraid of the ass that might soon be getting whooped. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Shit! Nobody told me your high’n mighty ass was coming--” The slimy voice hurriedly attempted to bargain with the wall, but the gauntlet’s metal fingers were stuck too far in for pleas to reach them. Not in time, at least, with Pyra’s next plans for her captor. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Gracing her hands along the wall to an area around her hips, Pyra curled her fingers slightly. She bent her legs all the way up to where her knee-tips barely touched the body of the gauntlet.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> In one quick act, she launched herself off the wall, the kick following answering the former captor’s plea to the stuck gauntlet from earlier. It came straight out of the wall, still around the Salvager’s arm, sent caravanning across the room right along with him. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ontos deactivated his Replica Monado after seeing all of that. Even minding the weapon, he knew the opponent was still feebly human. Still from Elysium. Certainly the culprit. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The better look at the Salvager’s features was granted to him when, in flight from Pyra’s flip kick, he met the end of that ride slamming into a fuse-box on the other side of the warehouse. Hard. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sparks erupted from the small fuse box, Pyra spun in the air from her graceful, yet fierce retaliation, making sure to stick landing, and Ontos could only humbly nod.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Almost as if they were fans of the red one themselves, some of the warehouse light’s came right on time.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Got some lights on in this place, at least…” Pyra, deciding not to toot her horns yet, rises to meet her brother, smiling the same as always. She was certainly used to crooks by this point, he supposed. Even ones with mechanical super-arms. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “...Might be lights out for our guy, though.” Ontos gives bleakly. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Pyra motions for her brother to follow her to the reeling, failed attempt at a slimy wisecrack. “Nope. He’s gonna talk. Don’t worry.” </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> Pyra arrives at the embarrassed heap first. He was reeling from the impact, barely able to stay conscious.  </em>
</p><p><em> Ontos was right behind, with more than a few words to say to the pesky thief.<br/></em> <em> However, this was Pyra’s floor. <br/></em> <em> She earned that. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Yoo-hoo. Nap time’s over, buddy.” Pyra growls. When she gets no answer, she reaches at the ashe-blonde locs atop the Salvagers head, lifting him up like he was weightless.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> Shoe was on the other foot now. <br/></em> <em> He quakes pathetically, flinching to life. <br/></em> <em> But with no words to show for it. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> So, Pyra got to talking first. “So, you call yourself a ‘Salvager’...” eyeing him down like prey, she takes whatever’s left of his ego away from him, “I’ll tell you right now, you’re no Salvager. But that’s not important. You already knew that.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> She drops him like a sack, and he clutches his head, still remaining quiet. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “High’n mighty,’ huh? Guess I am...cuz you’re about to talk.” She smiles brightly at the slimy thief. Ontos, upon seeing the cheeky grin, wonders just which of his sisters he actually brought along.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “So perk yourself up, ‘Miers.’ A </em> <b> <em>bunch</em> </b> <em> of things have already pushed a </em> <b> <em>bunch</em> </b> <em> of my buttons, how about we try not pushing the rest?”  </em></p><p>
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</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>"boss" #2 you could say (the first named boss was Valkyrie, from act 2)<br/>the fight was going to be way longer but then the chapter was almost 7k words...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Scars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> - Lethe, Moon of Adrezhal - </em>
</p><p><em>        - Aboard “ </em> <em> Psevdís </em> <em> ” - </em></p><p>
  <em>         - Two Days Ago - </em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>“Rooms a mess, by the way. You should clean the place up sometime.”</p><p>“<em> Up </em>yours. Doesn’t matter where my shit is. I’m the only who’s ever in here.”</p><p>“That’s arguable, too. Ya <em> sleep </em> most of your day in here, can even be multiple at a time. You get up, I <em> think </em> , to bathe, and <em> definitely </em> to drink. Do you ever eat?”</p><p> </p><p>The feline stops walking, standing right by a white sofa. Her ankle bracelet’s jingle along the floor chokes to a halt. </p><p> </p><p>She crosses her arms, looking around her messy room, but not behind her - <em> at </em> the person giving her cheek. A soft hiss from her lips evades the question from her company. “ <em> Speaking of ‘drink’: </em> It was <em> you </em> who wanted to come in here bothering me for it. Keep mouthing off, and you can make your own, while I make mine.”</p><p>“Heh. What if I <em> make </em> you make mine? I could just kill ya if you won’t.”</p><p>The messy, irritable feline, struck over with a brief pluck of nostalgia, actually giggles. “Then you got one less crony to do your bidding. Besides, you know saying ‘I’ll kill ya’ is an <em> ~offer~ </em> to me, not a threat. Try again, or take your ass on that sofa and shuttup.”</p><p>
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  <br/>
</p><p>Icarus does the latter, as prompted, smacking his teeth with a cheeky grin and sigh. “Same’ol Taina.”</p><p> </p><p>The feline, still not looking at her commander, whips her head away from the direction of his <em> general presence. </em> What she was looking for wasn’t anywhere over there, anyway. The end of her black and white tail snaps back, and then forth, quickly, as if it were doing the job of smacking Icarus itself. </p><p> </p><p>Scoffing under her breath, she moves toward the very small, compact kitchen-like area further into her room. <em> “I’m not ‘same’ol’ anything. I just don’t talk to you.”  </em></p><p> </p><p>Redolence? Pain? Longing? <br/>Listlessness.<br/>Exhaustion. And if she had the energy, indignation.</p><p> </p><p>There was an array of something of that sort going on within her. None of it ‘sentimental’, at least, which was assuring enough that he, probably, meant nothing to her, still. </p><p>A heavy sigh escapes the feline as she drags her feet over to the cabinet with all of her liquors, hissing an offer of which she knew the general platitude towards like the back of her hand. </p><p> </p><p><em> “...But if it’ll make you quiet, until I finish these drinks and we </em> <b> <em>need</em> </b> <em> to talk, I’ll be whatever you want.”  </em></p><p>“Bah. Guess I deserve that much, anyway. Have it your way.” </p><p> </p><p><em> ‘Thanks. And yeah, you do.’ </em>Taina thought to herself, pulling their favorite brands out of the cabinet. Unconsciously, mind. And it sickened her that she still knew. But it didn’t make any sense to pretend it was an accident that she selected what she did.</p><p>Setting out the alcohol, other ingredients, and a shaker, she gave another sigh through her nose. <em> ‘Wish I could…egh…’ </em> She let her thought slip away from her. Nothing made a difference then and it wouldn’t now. She was just as much to blame, for everything, probably. So who cares.</p><p> </p><p>“But, hey-”</p><p>“You’re more than welcome to come up here and save me at least <em> some </em> of this headache. I made myself very clear.”</p><p>“Don’t be like that. I’ll shut back up. I just wanted to ask if...ya could make em like you used to.”</p><p> </p><p><em> ‘Ugh…’ </em> She puts two fingers to her neck, semi-caressing it.<br/>There it was again. <br/>That array of whatever.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Used’ to? Care to be specific? Two millennia, plus </em> <b> <em>a lot</em> </b> <em> , is a long time for ‘used’ to’s.” </em> While her past hadn’t completely escaped her, she was well beyond the point of forgetting her age. There were quite a lot of ways she ‘used to’ do things. There were quite a lot of things she ‘used to’ do. And, contrary to her array of whatever - that seemed to be all she could muster nowadays, there were quite a lot of things she ‘used to’ feel.</p><p>“Back at...what’wassit, <em> ‘Anastatia’s? </em>’ Think that’s what it was called. Blast from the past, I know.” Looking up at the ceiling after jogging his subordinate’s memory, Icarus locked eyes with a blown light bulb that loomed over his sofa cushion. In that lightbulb, he saw a little bit of his old self. The one with a burning in his soul. “All’s I really got for ya is the place was friggin’ cold as hell, on that stupid Titan. But I know you used to gig there. Worked some real magic at that bar. Only reason I kept coming back.” </p><p> </p><p>He saw some of the places he used to go. There was one, in all of his years, that always stuck out to him. He got quite attached to that one, too. Nothing like he’d ever seen. Clouds beneath his feet. Beneath <em> everyone's </em> feet. That wasn’t where those <em> were supposed to be </em>, right?</p><p>The place was gone anyway, and it’s not like he had any intention, then, or now, if he could, to ask the only person who could answer him on that. And, all in all, the <em> real </em> reason that world stayed in his mind wasn’t all of the pretty sights. It was because he got some damn important things out of it.</p><p> </p><p>The little ‘stray’ making his drink, she was one of them. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re such a child. You really remember that? Grow up.”</p><p>“<em> That </em>, and how pissed off you used to get that I’d always request you every time I saw you workin.”</p><p> </p><p>She caps the silver drink mixer reluctantly. “I’m glad you took so much pleasure in making a young, broke bartender's job harder.” She <em> begins </em> to shake, but at the presence of another grim thought, she stops, almost too quickly. <em> “But I’ll never be that girl again. Not for anybody.” </em></p><p><em> “I wasn’t </em> <b> <em>askin’</em> </b> <em> for all th-” </em></p><p><b> <em>“Shut your mouth.”</em> </b> </p><p> </p><p>Icarus does as he’s told, once again.</p><p> </p><p>Taina, with another deep, heavy sigh, closes her eyes.<br/>She hated giving him what he wanted. She hated, also, that she used to not hate it.<br/>But if it would get them talking business <em> sooner </em> rather than <em> later. </em> Well…</p><p> </p><p>“Ugh…” Taina growls and grabs and prepares another drink in a second metal shaker. This one was hers. </p><p>As for his…<br/>She had placed it, sideways, on top of her head, while relaxing her tail so that it went straight down behind her legs. She caps the second drink mixer and sets it down for the moment, a bit of focus was going to be needed so she could do this properly again.</p><p> </p><p>Atop her head was the first mixer. Soon, it was rolling down her back like a barrel, as she jerked her body forward and slightly dipped her head. A recipe for disaster, completely, and one-hundred percent.</p><p> </p><p><em> If </em> you weren’t Taina.<br/><em> If </em> you were? You’d do exactly as she did.<br/>Just before the mixer would roll off of her bottom and become a puddle of failed drowned-depression on the floor, her tail would furl, guiding it’s path away from destruction, curling the mixer into a tight, but not <em> too </em> tight grip, along the end of it.</p><p>It was like magic.<br/>To anybody other than her.<br/>Nobody knows why she can do it, and she’s never peeped about it to anyone else working in her field. </p><p>Plenty have tried.<br/>Often mimicking her motion to a T so minute sometimes, that even the black-and white haired, irritable kitty herself would be thrown off. <br/>But <em> all </em> have failed.</p><p> </p><p>Shaking the first mixer gently, where you’d expect, she picks up the second mixer containing her favorite contents, and begins to shake that as well.</p><p><br/>After a minute. A painful, listless, silent, and if she had the energy, <em> undignifying </em> minute, the drinks were poured. One on the rocks, the other <em> ‘fine just how it is, sweetie.’ </em> </p><p> </p><p>In a brief flight of thoughts fancy, she’d wondered why all the alcohol <em> she’s </em> been drinking hadn’t become her ticket out of existence yet. Just as quickly, she let it go. There was still a child to be babysat, lounging on her sofa like he owned the place. And, yeah, he <em> did </em> own the place. </p><p>Wrapped around her finger as he might have been all these years, she’s still never forgotten her<em> actual </em>place. She’s also never forgotten why she was even still clinging to life. Both of those truths were things she wanted desperately to have the energy to discard. Or at least, she might have, at one point. Who’s to say what any of this meant to her now. It wasn’t ‘feelings.’ It was an array. An array of whatever.</p><p> </p><p>Two drinks. One small table. Both of them were on the sofa, now.<br/>One of them comfortable. Just fine how he was.<br/>The other, not so much. Cold as ice cubes. </p><p> </p><p>About a minute of conversation goes by, with little snippets of achievement throughout. Eventually, the main topic had fully orbited to their side of the moon. Sleeping beauty, Taina would not get to be anymore. At least, not for a little while.</p><p> </p><p><em> “...’S long as I ain’t stuck with that redhead again, who’s clearly missing the ‘head’ part. Too many things fall apart in Rocsanne’s company...I can’t take that stuff. I’ve seen enough buildings crumble and enough heads get blown off.” </em> At that, a welcome sip from her glass is taken.</p><p>“Pft. And who’s fault is it that <em> you </em> can’t handle her? Try growing a thicker coat of fur and maybe you’d finally grow past a kitten. We do dirty jobs around here. I’ve let you slip by for too long, not keepin’ up with the rest of us.”</p><p> </p><p><em> ‘Dirty’ </em> was <b>so</b> not the word.<br/><em> ‘Dirty’ </em> was what this conversation was, not what all of the actions of <em> those </em> people were.<br/><em> 'Dirty’ </em>would be better swapped there. But quantifying Alicorn’s atrocious mantras and heinous treachery into a single word was just impossible.</p><p>Worse yet, she was stuck in the middle. Just as to blame.<br/>With no plans of getting herself out. She didn’t have the energy.<br/>She’d seen too many buildings crumble. She’d seen too many heads get blown off.</p><p>It wasn’t in her anymore.<br/>To fight back. Or to ‘grow thicker fur’ and willingly fight in their name.<br/>What was <em> in </em> her now was what she wanted to be in her <em> more. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Patrol some ruins around that ‘Vathianera’ place, in Sitira? That really it?” </em>
</p><p><em> “For the moment. You’re on standby, basically. But things could change. In fact, they probably will. I just need everyone doing </em> <b> <em>something </em> </b> <em> down on Adrezhal. Because, as I said just a little while ago at the round table, we’re about to kick things up a notch.”  </em></p><p> </p><p>And kick things up a notch she did, knocking the rest of her alcohol back, holding her breath to let it all seep in, for as little as it gave her these days.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...Fine.” </em>
</p><p><em> “Heh. Good.” </em> After finishing his drink, Icarus stood up and turned toward the exit hall of Taina’s room. <em> “Bright and early tomorrow, ‘kay? No cat napping.” </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Get out.” </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> - Argentum Dual Ports, Warehouse #3-B - </em>
</p><p>
  <em> - Present day - </em>
</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <em> “And what’s this about an ‘assignment?!’ You’ll regret it if you don’t speak up.”  </em>
</p><p>The slimy thief salvager reluctantly answers the barking red Blade. “O-Ova’ there! It’s all in the hard folder! Dude in that twisted lookin’ armor from a month ago wanted me to find some kind of ancient relic trash in the sea for ‘im. You wanna know so bad?! Just go take a look for yourselves, shit!”</p><p> </p><p>Arms folded, Ontos probes for more information. “<em> The weapons? What of those?” </em></p><p>“Fuck if I know. He just gave em’ to me. Said they were ‘extra’ or somethin.” </p><p> </p><p>Ontos catches Pyra’s attention. “...You think it could have been for us?”</p><p>Pyra answers, a finger bent to her chin. This one is unexpected to them both, almost. “...No, actually. Those weapons are weaker than Common Blades were, back when Blades were still around.”</p><p> </p><p>Narrowing his eyes, the silver-haired fighter awaits the kicker to Pyra’s deduction. </p><p> </p><p>“I think they <em> wanted </em> him to go around making trouble, for some reason. I can’t think of <em> anything </em> else.” Nodding her head back and forth, she comes to as clear a conclusion as she can. “...Maybe they <em> were </em> for us, but not like, to fight. Just to have us running around, chasing people with Alicorn’s weapons. It would drain us faster - <em> and </em> we’d still have to fight their machines.”</p><p> </p><p>Ontos nods to his sister, who’s attention had whipped back to Miers, a vicious expression on her face.</p><p> </p><p><em> “And you </em> <b> <em>mean</em> </b> <em> it, right? You haven’t been using those weapons or pawning them off to other people who could do dangerous things, right?! So help me, if I find out you lied this evening-” </em></p><p>
  <em> “I-I mean it, damn! I mean it. I don’t need those things to use on other people - I protect my own shit. What other people got to do with me, huh?! You think I’m some monster that just wants assholes all over the place to start mowin’ each other down?! ‘S’at what you think o’ me, ‘Angel?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Whiplashing a bit, Pyra finds herself stricken with a <em> twinge </em> of guilt from her earlier, much harsher, accusation of the salvaging man. She doesn’t give up her footing, however. She <em> was </em> attacked by him. “...Work on your first impressions, then.”</p><p>“Whateva. Everything you need is the fuck over there. The folder, the weapons, the tools, all that shit. It’s all over there. If you’re done with me, I’m shot. My head’s leakin’ like crazy and I have nothing to talk to either of you two dusty ass ancient beins’, or whatever the fuck you are. Good night. Blood’s on your hands if I bleed out and don’t wake up tomorrow, Angel.”</p><p> </p><p>Balling her fist, Pyra squeaks a little under her breath, realizing that even if she was holding back, there was still a <em> massive </em> difference in power between a human and a Blade.</p><p>She begins to tremble, thinking about the possibility of having that on her conscience.</p><p>Wincing, she slowly turns away from the Salvager to be near Ontos.</p><p>Her brother grabs at her shoulder, rubbing it slowly and then patting it, before leaving her a moment to be near the Salvager.</p><p>Unholstering his silver Replica Monado, he points the end of the sword by his head.</p><p>Pyra feels a brief morsel of shock and worry, that quickly turns into a heavy breath of reassurance.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...Light Heal.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The Salvager, who had gone back to being unconscious a second ago, wakes back up, as if being shocked with life again. He looks straight into the cold glare of his rescuer's silver eyes, not quite sure how to feel.</p><p> </p><p>“...What? I don’t feel - hey - did you just do that?”<br/><br/>Sheathing the weapon and turning away to be near Pyra again, Ontos answers the Salvager in a way only he could. <em> “That was merely so you couldn’t complain. I didn’t treat </em> <b> <em>all</em> </b> <em> of your wounds, just the one that looked nasty. The rest of them, you can lick for all I care.” </em></p><p> </p><p>The Salvager, realizing it wasn’t in his best interest to try the patience of that boy, simply went back to sleep. He wanted nothing more than to just forget any of the past month ever happened.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The siblings arrive at the stolen items, and Pyra reaches over to the hard folder the Salvager told them contained his ‘assignment.’<br/><br/></p><p> </p><p>-------   -------</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> Α λ ί κ ο ρ ν  </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> G e n y s e c h t  R e t r i e v a l  I n i t i a t i v e  </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> Aut No#123 - Ψ υ χ ή , S o u l </em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> Msn I.D. #321123 </em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> Find and recover ‘Gram.’ </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> Priority: Red. </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> Priority classification defined as such: De-pressurizes and unlocks the innermost chamber of  Zhodric’s Internal Arkive Facility(IARK).  </em> </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> Procedure: Use any means necessary. Investigate all detected Rebel Signals that were briefed, and any others, should more be discerned. </em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> Should Gram be found: upon retrieval, report and forfeit the item immediately to Icarus and await further instructions. Return to your post on Adrezhal until such instructions are given. </em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> A rebrief and recalibration can be requested at any time, should the locations of Rebel Signals be lost or forgotten. </em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> Attached is an image of ‘Gram’ as it was last seen. This is your only reference for its appearance.  </em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>------ ------</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> Shocked to her very core, Pyra squeals in protest at what the pair had found. “Hell no...There’s no way…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ontos stares in equal bewilderment, squinting as if hoping the document would disappear. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> Pyra continued her half-panicked moan. “No </em> <b> <em>way in hell</em> </b> <em> Icarus would just -- would just </em> <b> <em>leave</em> </b> <em> something like this lying around…” </em></p><p><em> “I know not of any ‘Gram’ or ‘Genysecht’, but there’s no doubt that what we’ve come across is vital information. If they’ve classified it’s priority level as high as ‘red’, one can only assume it’s </em> <b> <em>extremely</em> </b> <em> vital.” </em></p><p><em> “...Certainly not </em> <b> <em>anything</em> </b> <em> that should just be in some regular’ol Salvager’s hands. What the hell is this?!” Pyra resists her urge to rip their findings in half and break down in tears. “Who the hell’s he think he’s playing at?!”  </em></p><p>
  <em> Ontos, noticing the heightened emotion of his sister, moves with words to bring her back down. “We’ll not find anything out by screaming at parchment. We need to see if Myriam’s technology can tell us about what any of this could mean.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Y-You’re right, Ontos…You’re right. Gimme a sec.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Pyra reaches for one of her emerald earrings, pressing two delicate fingers onto her Core Crystal, as if yearning for someone. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Her Core Crystal blinks, and then the earring in her hand. In a moment, a flash of light cones into a projected image of the other of the two’s dear sisters. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Mythra! Mythra, it’s--” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Yo, sissy~. Everything good? You sound out of breath - did something happen?” </em>
</p><p><em> “ </em> <b> <em>Yes.</em> </b> <em> I...Ontos and I, we found something. It’s pretty goddamn serious.” </em></p><p>
  <em> “With our luck...I’m guessin’ it ain’t the good kind, is it?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Pyra holds her breath for a moment, and then speaks again. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...I-I’m...I’m not sure.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “How long until you can be back here?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “A few hours, maybe. I want to look around Elysium, one more time, just to make sure everything is... safe, before we build that ship.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...Alicorn?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Duh. They’ve been snooping around Elysium. Icarus was here before - before he met us, and left all these crazy weapons to that Salvager Myriam asked us to catch. He also left this...this document, and we can’t figure out what it means.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “...I get the picture. Sounds like we might have a lead. So you need to hoof it, sis. You and Ontos get your asses back here as soon as you can, okay?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “For sure, sis. We need to make sure everything is okay in the other regions, and then we’ll gun it back to The Space Building.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Good. Love you.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Love you too.” </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
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  <br/>
  <br/>
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</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>ONE CHAPTER LEFT FOR THIS ACT, WOOOO! SEE YA'LL THERE<br/>I was SO proud of this when I finished it</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. END OF ACT III - Departure - Goodbye, Elysium.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> “Heh. Yeah?”  Icarus gave a short-breathed laugh, as if he only vaguely, or perhaps not at all, found the thing with his attention comedic. “Seems like ya had cards to throw on the table after all, little lady. Gotta remember to stop thinkin’ you’re not like me.” Taking in the sight one more time, he steadies his eyes on the emptiness in front of him, a small smirk forming on his lips as he accepts the new circumstances. “...Neither of us play fair.”  </em>
</p><p><em> “...I can scarcely believe it. The whole damn thing’s just... </em> <b> <em>gone.</em> </b> <em> ” Taina inhaled deeply, and groggily, as she scratched her head. She’d been through plenty of brush ups with conventionally unimaginable events, caused by ancient entities. Even the ‘world-ending’ sort. And yet, staring with razor-narrow eyes through the bowl-like window of Psevdis, docked on the distant, dark-aqua blue moon’s surface, she found herself needing a moment or two. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> She let go of the air in her lungs, crossing her arms. “Even after so many years of fighting The Aegis, she still has new tricks. I’d have thought the little sugarcane would have well run out of steam by now.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Ya thought wrong.” Icarus turns toward his feline subordinate, leaning against the window. A backdrop of nothing but blackness and stars serving as the canvas to his image. “If she could hold her own against me for two-millennia, she can do anything she wants. She’s directly connected to The Conduit. She’s probably got no shortage of abilities to play with.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “Why would </em> <b> <em>that</em> </b> <em> little stunt take her </em> <b> <em>this</em> </b> <em> long, then? If she knew she could make --” </em></p><p><em> “Who the hell knows. Maybe she finally learned a new Art or somethin’. Maybe she got on her knees and begged The Conduit for help. I wasn’t exactly all that capable at the beginning of this whole shabang, either. It may have seemed like I’ve had her number...but not quite. She’s capable of meetin’ me blow for blow if I don’t stay ahead. ‘S why I spent so long working on ‘ </em> <b> <em>that</em> </b> <em> ’ little project for the science fair yesterday.”  ‘Science fair,’ of course, referring to Icarus showing himself to The Aegis. </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “The </em> <b> <em>‘NOAH’…</em> </b> <em> ” Taina stretches a bit, her tone becoming a lot less relaxed, and a lot more condemnatory. “Ugh. Always you and your stupid toys. You know that damn thing can scar the hell out of a planet, right? The Aegis...she isn’t showing off, like you were. She--” </em></p><p>
  <em> “Save it. You know whining isn’t changing my mind.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Groaning under her teeth, she shallowly refuses, already knowing what’ll become of her admonishment. “Haven’t you at least considered it? If all of this could bite you in the ass? What if it malfunctions? What then? And you want to keep powering that twisted, childish Kaiju bullshit up.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Yawning, and then groaning frustratingly, he dismisses her. “You seem to love playing ‘angel’s advocate.’ Which, in your case? Man, is that rich.” </em>
</p><p><em> Smacking her teeth, she winces, looking away from him briefly. He was right. “Even so, sure you feel so ‘ahead’ now, champ? I mean, what exactly are you going to </em> <b> <em> do</em> </b> <em> about </em> <b> <em>that</em> </b> <em> ? Your machines can’t tear apart something they can’t hit anymore.” </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Smiling, he lifts himself up off of the glass, walking over to the feline and patting her shoulder. “I ain’t doing shit.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “So, what? The Aegis is off the board now? You’ve been saying all these years how she’s your express ticket to The Conduit. But, as you can see, getting her to come along for our little joyride is a bit of a bust now.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Says who?” </em>
</p><p><em> “Say’s the fucking empty void outside of the window, jackass. There is </em> <b> <em>no</em> </b> <em> way you planned for that.” </em></p><p> </p><p><em> The Commander shrugs. “Not </em> <b> <em>that</em> </b> <em> necessarily, sure. But I may have put a little something in place that could get her on her feet. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, we just grab The Conduit the hard way, and The Aegis can stay right where she is.”  </em></p><p><em> “...You’re counting on her </em> <b> <em>not</em> </b> <em> doing that.” </em></p><p>
  <em> “Course I am. That Aegis...she’s the caring type. She cares about every little thing.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> In tow of Icarus, Taina moves through the main areas of the large, black ship, eventually landing herself at one of the transport bays. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Icarus picks up where the chat from earlier trailed off, while punching some commands into a console near a transporter. “...There was a little somethin’-somethin’ I did a month ago. You weren’t there, so you had no idea, but we found Rebel Signals on Earth. Faint ones, so probably junk. But I figure I’d take my chances on finding ‘Gram’ there, anyway. And instead of snooping around for it myself, I decided to...let’s just say, leave The Aegis a ‘goodie-bag.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> ‘Exactly like him. He’d take even the smallest chances of getting what he wants.’ The feline thought to herself, before hissing at her commander. “Just like you, I’spose. If you think a wheel’s gonna turn, you oil it. Though, I dunno if I’d get my hopes up.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I don’t ‘hope.’ Don’t need that shit. I act. And soon, so will you.” Icarus’ hands left the transporter. He rolled his neck before scanning the feline.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Giving her a once-over, he meets her eyes, perplexed. “...You can’t be serious, Taina.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I’m not, that’s my secret. Now get out of my way.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> He gives a heavy sigh while scratching his head. A little nostalgic sprinkling of memories glittering his thoughts. “...Whatever. Prepare for deployment. Be sure you got enough yarn balls in that case to keep you occupied.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Taina says nothing back to her commander as she struts into the teleporter. However, when she gets near his face, she pulls hard on his cheek, making sure to pat it twice after letting go. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Pfft.” For the first time in a while, his smile was kind of genuine. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Taina, still, gave him no words on her exit. And in a moment, the teleporter whisked her away. </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> - Room 400, Major’s Office - </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> “Adrezhal’, huh? Let’s see, then.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “And you’re sure you’ve heard of it?” Mythra watched with eyes of total investment at her rekindled friend’s efforts. “Er..I mean, you can find what it is?”  </em>
</p><p><em> “Based on the homework I’ve already done on my own, before I called ya up here...I think I know what it </em> <b> <em>might</em> </b> <em> be. But again, that’s just a might -- if I can find it, though? I think you guys may have yourselves a real lead on just who those ‘Alicorn’ people really are.”  </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Myriam only barely took her eyes off of her laptop screen while addressing the blondie sitting atop her large desk, legs crossed, eyes equally as glued to the bright screen as she was.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Silence prevailed for a few moments, none save the clicking of keys and movement of coffee mugs for specks of delicious respite. Myriam took hers black. Mythra, with caramel. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Both women watched the work at the desk with absolute hope, and assertion, that it would bear fruit. That the long years of fighting tirelessly an enemy beyond the stars could finally show any hint of reachability on the horizon.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> The Blade, weathered and numb for far too long, was near the limit of her resolve. Also for far too long. Her only tethers thus remaining her connection to the siblings with her, who showed Mythra nothing but love at every turn. With every click, and every new archive record book opened, her heart raced, and raced some more. She needed this to mean something. She needed to know that just because something was inevitable, that she still shouldn’t give up.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The records and top secret internal archive folders that Myriam pulled up started as a few, and then cascaded. Going as far back as through the years, then the decades, then the centuries.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Damn, all of this stuff goes back so far...And The Space Association’s really kept it safe all of this time.” Mythra purrs, feeling her spirits lift a little after a quiet sip. She held her mug close to her heart, taking a moment to nibble her thumb.  </em>
</p><p><em> Myriam sighs, however. “Ain’t none of it all that substantial, though...I’ve gone through over 45% of our top secret databases. So far it’s just been rumors, unfinished briefings, or backend reports. No face to put to the name…” But even despite the worry in her voice, she kept going, through every single article. Every single image, every single report. All the way down to the tiniest of specks of info. She combed the databases like her -- no, like </em> <b> <em>everyone's </em> </b> <em> life depended on it. And truthfully, known to all working diligently in The Space Building that day, above and below, </em> <b> <em>it was.</em> </b> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “We’ve gotta find something...Alicorn -- I-Icarus, they were talking all about that place in the files he left at Argentum. No way it’s not a big deal. Not just ‘Adrezhal’, but all of the weird stuff in those documents.” The Blade took the final swig of her mug, hopping off of the desk to go and refill her beverage. Myriam continued typing away, completely focused on the task at hand. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> However, as if right on cue, sensing her friend: “Fill me up, sugar.” Myriam, eyes still glued to her work, lifts her mug toward Mythra’s general direction. Of course, the Blade obliges gleefully, with a soft-hearted giggle. </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
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</p><p>
  <em> - The Hangar - </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “We really are doing this.” Ontos set down his pair of high-tech pliers, looking over toward his gentle flame of a sister. Pyra was taking parts of the dismantled Siren and sorting them orderly.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Myriam urged the two before leaving to her office with Mythra: the Siren parts had to all be in the right categories. No half-assing. Everything in each of the life-sized trays had to match the last item. All of the annoying busywork needed to be done at this stage. Because, as per Myriam’s own words ‘It’s only gettin’ worse. But if you get this knocked out, while the blondie and I take care of things up there, it won’t be too much worse. Building the ship will come naturally once we’re all hunkered down and knee-deep.’  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “We are.” Pyra’s soft voice flutters from her work-station over to her brother’s. “I just pray we can leave Elysium with...with a way to catch them. It makes more sense to me for us to do that than wander the stars aimlessly, hoping The Conduit will just appear for us first.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I must ask again, though I am doing so redundantly, I apologize for such.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Don’t say sorry. Ask whatever you want.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Taking his work gloves off, and wiping sweat from his hands, Ontos repeats his question from the previous morning. “...Are you sure you meant what you said? Is there really nobody you’d like to bid farewell? We could be gone a long while...Worse case, we may not make it back. I never said goodbye to Shulk, or the other Hom’s and friends who gave me unconditional, if brief, interpersonal shelter. That is one of my deepest regrets.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Pyra turned to face her dear brother, with her hands gently over her Core Crystal. She gave him a smile as warm as a passing sunset. And that alone lit up the deepness of the night.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “~ D’aww. ~ You’re the sweetest. But, really,” she takes a breath equally as deep as the night. “they shouldn’t worry about me -- The Elysians, I mean.” Looking toward the ceiling, Pyra wipes away some of her own sweat. “Alicorn can’t hit the Earth again. I’m sure of it. So I want them to live their lives like...like they did all of those years ago, when everything was normal. Of course, </em> <b> <em>I</em> </b> <em> know that we’re still not out of the woods yet...but, they don’t need to. We’ll win. </em> <b> <em>We will</em> </b> <em> . So I don’t want to tell them I’m gone...They’ll just worry about me, they’ll know there’s still a war going on.” </em></p><p>
  <em> “Won’t they wonder that anyway? They’ll find out you aren’t...around, sooner or later.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I’m aware.” Wiping sprinkles from her eyes and shaking her head, Pyra reassures herself that she’s making the right choice. “...And I know what they’ll think happened, too.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “And you’re okay with that? You’re okay with them having to accept that? Unconditionally?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...I-”...She cracks, just a little bit. Her steel soul springing the smallest of leaks. Her gentle flame faltered. “I-I don’t know…I just...I’m not sure what’s better for them. I don’t want them to live in fear anymore. That’s all.” Shaking her head again, and then another time, she finally staves off of the tears. Unlike Mythra, and unlike Ontos, both hardened by tragedy -- This was relatively speaking, quite new to Pyra. This was a decision she made in total faith for her success, but also total disarray of the calls of her heart.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> She’d never pretend like she didn’t love Elysium, with every fibre of her soul. <br/></em> <em> That’s why she decided against goodbyes.<br/></em> <em> She didn’t want them saying goodbye to Angel. She wanted them to thank her, from a distance, for giving them their lives back.  </em></p><p><em> They didn’t need to know that the universe was at stake.<br/></em> <em> They needed to see the clear sky.<br/></em> <em> They needed to witness nature, hopefully, reclaim The Center. </em></p><p><em> Angel, she knew the nightmare wasn’t over.<br/></em> <em> She knew that she couldn’t dream yet.<br/></em> <em> But they </em> <b> <em>can</em> </b> <em> , now. </em></p><p><em> Angel wanted to protect that. <br/></em> <em> The right to dream, that she fumbled long ago, for herself and everyone else. <br/></em> <em> She could finally give back -- no strings attached.  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> At least, not </em> <b> <em>visible</em> </b> <em> strings. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...I understand, Pyra. The matter is left wholly to you, and Mythra. I may suggest, but never shall I impose. If your choice is set in stone, my support of that choice is as well.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> - Room 400, Major’s Office - </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> With a short gasp of air, Myriam’s voice awakens with a measure of accomplishment.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Shit. Shit this may be it.” She turns her head back, ushering her hero’s attention. “...Mythra!” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> The blondie, still with her legs crossed on the desk, jerks her head up from the flat surface of the table and over to her summoner. Her eyes are filled with emotion, the most of which being hope. She didn’t know quite what to expect, but with Myriam in charge, it had to be something worthwhile. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “You found something?!” </em> <em><br/></em> <em><br/></em> <em> “Sure did! Just give me like...thirty seconds to run a detailed attestation protocol…”  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> Her hands zipped across the keys, and Mythra’s heartbeat picked back up. <br/></em> <em> Progress bars filled the screen.<br/></em> <em> From 10%, to 30%, to 100%, each of the different processes happening all at once followed the rhythms of each other perfectly.  </em></p><p>
  <em> Mythra could almost make out what was happening, but she knew she wouldn’t have to explain it to herself. If there was one thing Myriam loved doing, it was talking. So she sat back, letting hope and anxiety course through her veins, as the thirty seconds started, and ended. In a moment, and a lifetime.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Oh yeah. Ohhhh yeah.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “What? What is it?”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Myriam didn’t answer the Blade, instead opting for her wristwatch. She punched a few choice commands into it and then grabbed the mechanical timepiece with her fingers. Turning the timepiece counterclockwise, her next motion was sharp. She took half of the screen, and appeared to almost rip the thing off. But the timepiece was perfectly fine, the half hadn’t flown across the office, it had rested atop her hand. But that was only for a split second. Soon, the stationary half of the timepiece began to morph around her hand, forming a black, cyber-like glove. The top half of the timepiece became wedged into the back-hand of the glove, glowing a bright blue. The entire glove itself also became veined in blue. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Myriam gave her blonde friend a cautionary command. “Gonna wanna hop off of the desk, sugar-sweet.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “O-OK.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> After Mythra did as she was told, Myriam got up from her seat as well.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Moving to the side of the desk, Myriam turned her laptop toward herself. She opened a new window and entered in a myriad of prompts. Eventually, she was asked for a specific verification type, which she gave using her black glove, pressing onto a special, bright blue key. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Mythra hopped back as she saw the flash of light cut through the entire desk. The length edges receded away from the mothership, while the width edges sank below it. What the desk had been exchanged for was a cube of glass panels, hollow on the inside.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Pressing the blue button on the back of her glove that was once the top half of a timepiece, the glass panels would become empty no longer. The blinds of the large window shut in an instant, and on the same beat, the lights of the office blinked into total blackness. The room was pitch dark, but only for mere moments. The glass-panel box that was once Myriam’s desk was awash from within, and then without, with a bright blue wave of light. The light wave brought with it a cascading series of holographic images. The diagram within the room was life-sized.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> Life-sized.<br/></em> <em> Intricately detailed.<br/></em> <em> And </em> <b> <em>exactly</em> </b> <em> what they’d been looking for. </em> <em><br/></em> <em><br/></em> <em> Mythra jumped, only half-shocked, found herself drenched in nostalgia over her days of working closely here. Working on that dream that died. The dream she wanted to bring to life again, one battle at a time. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...Heh. I forgot it could do that.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> Waving her hand across the hologram, she makes a timeline of events pop up. The timeline goes back two millennia, which was not a coincidence.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “From the bit of picking about that I did before I brought you up, I felt something in my soul - like - it screamed. I knew there was something off about what was in that document, just couldn’t place it.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Zooming in on Earth’s portion of the diagram, the timeline bar went back. Myriam’s eyes darted all over the images as she scrolled diligently. Finally finding her place, she let go of the timebar and ushered Mythra to her side.  </em>
</p><p><em> They were looking at the former half of the timeline bar, shifted almost </em> <b> <em>completely</em> </b> <em> to one side. Mythra’s eyes widened when she met what Myriam wanted her to see. </em></p><p>
  <em> The days, weeks, and years of that generation played back in her mind, but she couldn’t let herself slip into panicking.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> She bottled everything up, retaining her coolness of demeanor. But she knew what she was looking at.<br/></em> <em> It was one of the worst periods of her life. Possibly </em> <b> <em>the</em> </b> <em> worst. Second to only… she dismissed the thought.<br/></em> <em> It was when </em> <b> <em>this </em> </b> <em> particular nightmare began. </em></p><p><em> Each millennial period had an overseeing tab concerning the entire generation.<br/></em> <em> The tab Myriam had pulled up -- the memories...the successes, the failures, the dreams, the nightmares…<br/></em> <em> It was ‘31XX.’ That was when it happened.  </em></p><p><em> Mythra couldn’t avoid it.<br/></em> <em> She knew this.<br/></em> <em> In order to move forward sometimes, you have to go back. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...Recognize any’o this?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Briefly entranced, Mythra shakes her head, turning to answer Myriam as strongly as she could.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I couldn’t forget if I wanted to. That...that was around when all of this started.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> The memories.<br/></em> <em> The successes.<br/></em> <em> The failures. </em></p><p><em> The dreams.<br/></em> <em> The crew.<br/></em> <em> The nightmares. </em></p><p><em> The endless nights spent in the hangar, putting together the first Siren Voyager.<br/></em> <em> The years of research that went into studying the planet that she wanted to be Elysium’s new home. <br/></em> <em> The laughs with the crewmembers she barely knew. The heartfelt nights spent sharing drinks with Davis, and sometimes others as well. </em></p><p><em> The interviews on the news. <br/></em> <em> The constant reassurance of the public that she was going to rekindle Elysium’s flame.<br/></em> <em> The promises. Promises she couldn’t keep. </em></p><p> </p><p><em> The fateful weekend.<br/></em> <em> The sea of stars.<br/></em> <em> The blue flame in the middle of the nothingness, piercing into her soul, calling her to die. </em></p><p><em> Calling her to give up.<br/></em> <em> Calling her to abandon them.<br/></em> <em> Calling her... </em> <b> <em>to him</em> </b> <em> . </em></p><p><em> But, just because you know something’s inevitable, doesn’t mean you give up.<br/></em> <b> <em>You refuse.<br/></em> </b> <em> And that’s what she did. </em></p><p><em> She refused death.<br/></em> <em> She refused to abandon Elysium.<br/></em> <em> And she refused to answer his calls. He couldn’t control her. </em></p><p> </p><p><em> He couldn’t do whatever he wanted.<br/></em> <em> Not with her.<br/></em> <em> Not with The Conduit. The universe itself. </em></p><p><em> That was all too much to give a single man.<br/></em> <em> It happened once already.<br/></em> <em> She didn’t want it happening again. No matter the reason a single man would want such a thing. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Yeah? Hate to strum those old notes -- but we’re gonna need to for this next part. Sit tight, I’ll be flapping my gums for a bit.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Mythra stood steady, with half a mind to move to the couch, but something within her told her not to.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> The hologram moved again along the years. <br/></em> <em> The moment specifically depicted was one of the first large leaps in research for ‘Project Stargaze.’ <br/></em> <em> Every research team across Elysium cheered that day. The day they discovered a potential new home. Everything was in line. Perfect, even.  </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Mythra couldn’t hold back a grim laugh, nor her grim thoughts. ‘Too goddamn perfect. Oh well...Least I learned my lesson.’  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “B1-0N15. That’s what the folks called it then.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Mythra remained quiet while turning her attention to Myriam. Myriam took a deep breath, moving the hologram around again. She returned the image to the bird’s eye view of the Solar System, and just as quickly zoomed in again. The time, she’d zoomed in on a planet a relatively short distance away from Earth. </em>
</p><p><em> Of course, back then, this potential home for Earth was referred to as ‘like a sister to us.’ <br/></em> <em> It was, as Mythra thought earlier, almost too perfect. Like someone tailored it to meet Earth-like needs. <br/></em> <em> It was a pipe-thought, sure, but one she could never really let go of. </em></p><p>
  <em> The Blade let her thoughts prevail in her own world, while in the real world, she let Myriam’s silky voice prevail.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “This bad boy here is what I was wonderin’ about the whole time, as I combed through our top-secrets. What I found during my homework alone gnawed at me. Based on everything you told me about these ‘Alicorn’ fools, and how they’ve been attacking us so frequently. The name ‘Adrezhal’ being used, clearly, as a marker for a location, not to mention in that document -- the author referring to ‘posts,’ like designated stations for his cronies’ jobs.  And, of course, the kicker, ‘Gram.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Myriam turned away from the hologram, placing the finger of her black cyber-glove onto her chin, the other hand tucked under her arm.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “...Nothin’ in the records for it, so I couldn’t tell you the first thing about whatever that shit is. But it gave me, basically, no doubt in my mind that the thing ain’t from </em> <b> <em>our</em> </b> <em> terra-firma. And so that’s what got me picking our top-secret archives. I couldn’t be sure - but I </em> <b> <em>could</em> </b> <em> chance it, and so I did.” </em></p><p>
  <em> Mythra, with space now, spoke a small piece. “...And that planet, the one you just pulled up...You think that’s what we’re looking for?” </em>
</p><p><em> Twirling a bit of her hair through her black glove, she answers boldly, and with a smirk. “ </em> <b> <em>I know so.</em> </b> <em> It can’t be anything else in this half-dead solar system. I cross-referenced everything related to ‘B1-0N15’ and </em> <b> <em>that</em> </b> <em> planet. Everything -- all of it, all matches. It lined up like you wouldn’t believe.” </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...So that’s ‘Adrezhal,’ then. Adrezhal is that planet…” </em>
</p><p><em> “Sure ain’t </em> <b> <em>this</em> </b> <em> planet. And yea, I know my explanation seems shaky. Middling, prolly. But I tried going down extra rabbit holes to be crystal, and none of the other ropes survived the tug. That’s gotta be it. I’ve left certain things out...like that ‘Soul’ item in the document, or ‘Rebel Signals,’ because I really couldn’t find the first thing on em’, not even conceptually. But…” </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Mythra’s eyes narrow at the hologram as it moves once more, toward a location that was clearly cherry-picked. And solidifying this notion was the placing of a golden beacon at the area’s coordinate. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “There’s another chain I got to yank…One that rattled back at me.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “What am I looking at, exactly?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Blowing the image up, Myriam raises both of her arms in the air, placing the un-gloved hand to her hip shortly after, as if she’d just nailed a stage performance. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “Mythra, that beacon there? That’s the place where, in that Alicorn document, they said contained an ‘Internal Arkive Facility.’ Now, I was able to pull records up for this one, surprisingly. All of it was fragmented to hell, and clearly from time’s </em> <b> <em>long</em> </b> <em> past even what might have been </em> <b> <em>your</em> </b> <em> day, sugar.” </em></p><p>
  <em> “So...then how did they get there?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Transmission. It was past data, backed up. Why it got here, specifically -- I don’t know. But someone from that era put extreme measures in place to make sure whatever was backed up on this technology couldn’t be erased. But not all of it survived in one piece.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> ‘Past data… </em> <b> <em>’past’...Like, from Father’s time?</em> </b> <em> ’ The blonde’s thoughts barreled over her. ‘...C-Could it be?’  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “What we needed, however, was what I was able to recover little bits of. The term ‘IARK,’ for example...That terminology </em> <b> <em>existed</em> </b> <em> in some capacity right here, long ago. It was a tippity top secret archive chamber, the contents of which I couldn’t decipher. Had to be a lot of knowledge packed in that thing, though. Because it was hidden from the government bodies and officials at the time. Might’ve even been jumpstarted to counteract their influence...But I ain’t so sure on that. Call it a hunch.”  </em></p><p>
  <em> Rocking her head back and forth, Mythra probed her friend. “If you found all those old databases here, that means it should have been constructed here. So what’s it doing there?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...It was moved.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “M-Moved?!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Annnd...that’s it! That’s all I got for ya, honey, I apologize. Those transmitted archives were a bitch to get into, but I did it. And that’s all I’ve got to show for it. ‘IARK’ was moved. How? Why? Who? Nobody knows...Not until ya’ll go to it, and see for yourselves, anyway.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “...And that’s when ‘where’ comes in.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> Myriam snaps her fingers, speaking boldly and gleefully. “Bingo. I found the ‘where.’ And the ‘where’ is </em> <b> <em>there</em> </b> <em> . </em> <b> <em>Annnnd</em> </b> <em> that ‘where’ is </em> <b> <em>called</em> </b> <em> …” </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> - The Hangar - </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> Pyra looked over from her work station a glance, to the other. She whipped her hands to her hips, shaking her head when she saw what she did. But it was out of love, and adoration, and gratefulness, more than it was annoyance. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Ontos was barely focusing, and certainly hard at maintaining his balance. Yet, he was somehow not out for the count yet. He kept taking apart the Siren as diligently as his body would allow. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>  Pyra wouldn’t have any of this, however. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> Strutting over to his station and plucking him on the cheek, she cried out. “You should sleep. I mean it. Look at you, about to fall over...I know you’re trying very hard. You always have tried so hard for me. But, I must say, do you really wanna fall into any of the sharp objects around us right now? I don’t know what any of your other forms look like, sure, but right now the Ontos I’m seeing is pretty soft and cute and brown and brother-like and squishy and </em> <b> <em>definitely</em> </b> <em> bleeds.” Pyra giggles, ending her run-on sentence, but not her speech entirely. “And you’d bleed if you fell over, alright. A </em> <b> <em>lot.</em> </b> <em> ” </em></p><p>
  <em> “Ahaha...Pyra, you worry. Really, I am good to keep this up for --” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “No! That wasn’t a question. Now c’mon, there’s a bench over there…” Grabbing her brother’s hand tightly, she practically drags him over to the empty work-bench. Plopping him down like a toy, she pats him down, brushing dust and other disturbances from his coat. She even rubs his forehead to feel for fever. “You’re getting some sleep. No questions asked. None. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine on my own for a while. In fact, I’m sure Mythra’ll be coming down at some point.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ontos, upon being sat down, attempted to protest in vain, but he couldn’t usher forth the strength. After skipping proper rest for weeks, even his voice felt heavy. He raised up his hand in front of his sister, with a smile on his face. The white flag of surrender. All he could muster. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> One kiss atop his sloppy hair later, Pyra softly moans an incentive for him to keep striving. “You’re doing great. I mean it...And you know, when we’re done with all of this? When we get that ship built...I swear I’m doing something about that hair. Good night. See you in a little while.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ontos gives a flimsy salute, letting his bangs fall completely over his eyes. He was out for the count now.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Pyra, happy at her brother’s compliance, turns her body back to the workstations, her smiling shimmering with the deep blue light. “Double duty! You’d better get back soon, Mythra, with good news! …We’re not even a quarter of the way done with all of this…”  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> - The Space Association, Launch Site - </em>
</p><p>
  <em> - Forty days later -  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> “We’ve not forgotten anything, have we?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I shook my head. “What’s there to bring, silly. You certainly didn’t arrive with any belongings.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> My brother gives a bleakly smug nod as an answer.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> My attention, afterward, turns toward the fruits of our labor. Another ship, though much smaller - because we were the only ones going to be in it, looking much the same as it did the last time I spent endless nights here, laughing, arguing, joking, drinking, and working tirelessly. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> The last time I did this, it was a dream.<br/></em> <em> A dream that became a fight.<br/></em> <em> A nightmare. </em></p><p><em> Now? This was a fight.<br/></em> <em> A fight beyond the stars. Beyond the folds of Earth.<br/></em> <em> This was a fight that I wanted to claw </em> <b> <em>my</em> </b> <em> dream back from. </em></p><p><em> I began strutting across the concrete, marked ground of the Launch Base. <br/></em> <em> I wanted to be up close and personal with it…<br/></em> <em> With ‘ </em> <em> Alítheia.’ </em> <em> And I certainly had Myriam to thank for that name. </em></p><p><em> Brushing my hands across it’s silver, metallic body, I guided myself all around it.<br/></em> <em> And back through my memories, too.<br/></em> <em> Back to the successes, the failures, the crew, the dreams, the nightmare. All of it. </em></p><p><em> My brief journey ended when I reached the front.<br/></em> <em> Myriam donned it much the same way Davis did.<br/></em> <em> My Core Crystal, recreated at the helm. I wasn’t much for tooting my own horns, but hey, I’ll take someone else doing it. </em></p><p> </p><p><em> This time, I was going to make good on that emblem, though. I was going to make good on </em> <b> <em>everything.</em> </b> <em> All of my failures from before...I was turning them into victories. I was reclaiming that dream. Now that the sky was clear...Now that Elysium itself didn’t have to be apart of the bloodshed, and the nightmare, and the toppling machine pieces...now that there was no need for a desolate arena called The Center... </em> <b> <em>I was ready.</em> </b></p><p> </p><p><em> I was ready to make this </em> <b> <em>my</em> </b> <em> fight.<br/></em> <em> No... </em> <b> <em>our </em> </b> <em> fight.<br/></em> <em> Ontos, and I? We were going to fight </em> <b> <em>our</em> </b> <em> war, now. </em> <em><br/><br/></em></p><p><em> And I know you’re watching me, darling.<br/></em> <em> I know you’re smiling.<br/></em> <em> Cuz I am, too. For once in my life, I am. </em></p><p><em> I’m smiling.<br/></em> <em> Because I have a way, now.<br/></em> <em> I have a path to shoot towards.  </em></p><p><em> And once I kick Icarus down about a million notches.<br/></em> <em> Once I burn Alicorn to ashes…<br/></em> <em> I can come. I can come running home. Faster than you could imagine. </em></p><p> </p><p><em> Wait a little longer for me, sweetie. I promise, it’ll all be worth it, okay? </em> <em> ♡ </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Yoooo!!!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “O-Oh! Myriam, there you are!” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> Jogging toward one of the only people I could call a dear friend nowadays, I take all of her features in, too. Just like how I’d taken in all of my memories. I was going to miss her. I was going to miss a lot of things. But I was </em> <b> <em>really</em> </b> <em> going to miss her. Rekindling something from someone’s lifetime ago, only for it to have to end so soon...It was a feeling I’d known all too well.  </em></p><p><em> She panted after finally reaching me, hands on her knees.<br/></em> <em> Soon, she caught her breath.<br/></em> <em> Whipping her head right up to face mine. </em> <em><br/><br/></em></p><p>
  <em> “Nuh-uh, sweetie. You’re not going anywhere if the frickin’ thing can’t even leave the ground. You forget I’m the only one who can start the thing?”  </em>
</p><p><em> “N-No...I was just admiring it, that’s all. This </em> <b> <em>did</em> </b> <em> take a month, you know.”  </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Swiping at her braid, she gave me heartfelt gratitude. “Yeah? That’s good to hear. I ain’t in my prime anymore, you know. That little project gave these old bones quite the shake up, so you better take good care of her.” She punched commands into her wristwatch, and a light from the underbelly erupted as the thrusters came to life, gently lifting the vessel from the ground. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Before I could probe, she answered the question she sensed was on my mind. “No way am I leavin’ yous high and dry, obviously. Give me your hand.” She waved Ontos toward her. “You too, boy.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> For Ontos, it was a wristwatch, much the same as hers.<br/></em> <em> For me, it was a chip she placed on top of my hands.<br/></em> <em> My Core Crystal blinked twice, and then in a short bit of seconds, one of my entire gloves became black, and veined in bright blue. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “That’ll let you two command the ship remotely, and communicate from far distances.” She leaned forward, sticking an assertive finger in my direction. “What, you thought I’d be out of your hair, just like that? Tough luck...I’ll be around.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Y-You’re coming with us?! No! Myriam, that’s --” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Course I’m not gonna be there in person. But...ya know, I missed you. Plus, I think if I could see this ‘Adrezhal’ for myself, I could start workin’ to get you both more answers about all of this. I’m doin’ this for me as much as you guys. So I hope you won’t mind me popping through on the communicators every so often.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> I smiled brightly, giving a quick, bouncy nod. “Of </em> <b> <em>course</em> </b> <em> , babe. You know I’ll be buzzing you up, too.”  </em></p><p>
  <em> “You’d better, same goes for you, Ontos. Don’t be strangers, now.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> With a bow as token as Ontos’ other gestures, he reassures Myriam. “I wouldn’t dream of it. You’ve done us a great service. We could never repay you.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Psh. Save your sappy melodrama for someone younger. I love you two. Trust me, that’s from the heart. Give a lonely old lady some friends and she’ll never let em go. Payment enough, if ya ask me.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Rocking her head back and forth, she comes up with something. “Though, if you’re really so caught up...do me this favor.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Yeah? What is it, Myriam?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Yes, let’s hear it.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Taking a deep breath through her nose, she looks toward the clear, bright sky. “...You kick their asses. I mean it. You come back here with good news for me. I’m not keen on little shitheads who think the universe is their toybox. I may not get everything that’s going on...but I know right from wrong. And there’s no way those guys are in the right. So you make sure you prove it to those ‘Alicorn’ fools, got it?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> You didn’t even need to ask. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Pfft. That’s a guarantee, Myriam. Bet your ‘Lucky Cookies’ on it.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Yes. My sister and I shall do all that’s within our wills to prevail.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Smiling, she heaves just about the heaviest sigh of relief in the world.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “...That’s all I could ever ask for, then. As for me? I’ll make sure the Elysians stay calm, once they realize, well…” she was looking directly at me now. “... </em> <b> <em>You know.</em> </b> <em> ”  </em></p><p>
  <em> “I do. A-And I’m really sorry for all of the trouble with that…” </em>
</p><p><em> “Nah. Don’t be. I’d do the same if I were you. These folks don’t got no business being apart of some huge space war with crazy people. Their fight is here, on </em> <b> <em>Earth.</em> </b> <em> Not Adrezhal. My fight is here, too. So best believe I’m gon’ fight. For all of us.” </em></p><p> </p><p><em> Her words move me to tears as I rush to take her in.<br/></em> <em> None of this would have been possible without her.<br/></em> <em> None of this would have been possible if I’d given up, and didn’t find her. </em></p><p> </p><p><em> “Thank you, Myriam. S-So much...I love you. I’m going to beat them. </em> <b> <em>I mean it.</em> </b> <em> ”  </em></p><p> </p><p><em> Ontos exchanges good graces with Myriam as well.<br/></em> <em> After a few minutes of reminiscing, and getting our feelings sorted, we face the ship.<br/></em> <em> It was really time...Time to say ‘Goodbye Elysium.’  </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “No ya don’t. Not before I get in on the group hug!”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Jerking my body over to face the raspy Titan voice I hadn’t heard in a while, I jumped. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “A-Azurda!~ You came!”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> He shook his body, stretching out his neck as the portal behind him closed. “Course I did. I can sense Ether, you know. I know somethin’ was up when yours...smelled different.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “S-Smell?! You take that back!” I actually took a whiff under my arms when he mentioned smells...They smelled fine, but that was still mean. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “It’s true, ya know. Ether carries with it scents that only Titans like me can smell. I knew somethin’ about ya changed when I realized the change in your Ether pulses.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Titans are magnificent creatures...Though the Titans of my world weren’t quite like Azurda here.” Ontos brushes his chin, taking in Azurda with respect.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “So, you two...you’re really leavin’?”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> At the same time, Ontos and I answer the white-furred Titan. “We are.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> But I speak first. “...We’ve got to track them down. And this is the only way. I’m sorry to leave so suddenly, but I’m going to win this for all of us, Azurda...so you just sit tight, and keep on protecting the Elysians for me, mkay?”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “You bet, Pneums. You’ll neva’ get a no from me on that, swear on my Pops.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Hehe.~ You don’t need to take it that far.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “But I do! You know Pops...he’d be prouder than ever, seein’ you like this. Fightin’ tooth and nail for the world he shared responsibility in bringin’ to life.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Gramps… </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “...I sure hope he would. I miss him...Gramps was one of the most comforting souls I ever knew. If </em> <b> <em>he’s</em> </b> <em> seeing this right now...I’d feel a whole lot better knowing.”  </em></p><p>
  <em> “Well, then let me be his eyes for you.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> I looked across his long neck, and his solid, yet gentle face. <br/></em> <em> Azurda was a Titan that always meant what he said.<br/></em> <em> His father taught him to love the world, and he’s never forgotten that lesson. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “...You would say that. Come here, big guy.~”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> He scoops me onto his neck, and I rub all along his fur.<br/></em> <em> It’s the best feeling ever. That hasn’t changed.<br/></em> <em> I was going to miss this, too. </em></p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> Several emotional, heartfelt minutes later, we were back to the scene from earlier. Staring down the ship. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Getting prepared to set everything into motion. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Getting prepared to claw back that dream from within this nightmare. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Getting prepared to bring smiles back to everyone, to bring life back to everyone. The life I cherish so much. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> Getting prepared to prove that, if you don’t give up, impossible situations don’t </em> <b> <em>have</em> </b> <em> to be inevitable. </em></p><p> </p><p><em> Getting prepared to fight for every right I’d lost to them... </em> <b> <em>to him</em> </b> <em> . </em></p><p> </p><p><em> The right to feel stillness along calm waves in creaks and oceans.<br/></em> <em> The right to look at a clear sky. The right to sleep properly.<br/></em> <em> The right to see all my loved ones...The right to live. The right to die. </em></p><p><em> All stolen by him.<br/></em> <em> Well, I was getting it back.<br/></em> <em> No questions asked. </em></p><p><em> You’ve got reach?<br/></em> <em> Well, I’ve got pull.<br/></em> <em> I’ll pull back against you so hard you’ll wish you hadn’t invited me to your little Conduit welcoming party. </em></p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em> “All preparations complete. Liftoff in 10...9…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Because I’m going to crash it. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “8...7…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> I’ll make you wish you hadn’t even thought of making the same mistake he did.<br/></em> <em> The mistake Father made. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “6...5…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> I’ll make you wish you didn’t temper my flames.<br/></em> <em> You have no idea how eager I am to burn shit when I’m mad. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “4...3…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> I’ll make you see.<br/></em> <em> I’ll make you see that I’ve got a whole lot of fury left. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “2…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I’ll show you. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “…AND LAUNCH.” </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p><em> Just because you </em> <b> <em>think</em> </b> <em> you’ve got me in an impossible situation… </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>Does not mean I’ll ever give up.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>-- Continue Pneuma and Ontos’ fight against the impossible odds set by Icarus. --</p><p>-- In ACT IV: Zhodric. The City Of Light. --</p><p>
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</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you...everyone. Thank you SO much. SOOO much for coming so far with me. For giving me a chance. Each one of you that read, kudo's, or commented so far, please accept all of my love and well wishes.</p><p>You have now reached the end of Act III for Sieged Elysium, and also...the end of 'Part' I.<br/>Pneuma and Ontos have reclaimed their ground. They're back. And now, they must fight.<br/>They must find Icarus, once and for all, and make him pay.<br/>Please continue this journey with me. I love you.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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